Ua Ola Loko I Ke Aloha
by The Blue Raven
Summary: utterly shippy fluff without a fugitive in sight Mel and Cole go on a romantic vacation in Hawaii and come to terms with their feelings. One of them ends up in a grass skirt and it’s not Mel. AU set right after 'To Catch a Dessarian'
1. Chapter 1

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Ua Ola Loko I Ke Aloha

Summary: Mel, and Cole go on a romantic vacation in Hawaii and come to terms with their feelings. One of them ends up in a grass skirt and it's not Mel. 

Rating: PG 13

Spoilers: very minor for "Trust" and "To Catch a Dessarian" 

Disclaimer: I don't own them, but, hey, just as soon as that deal with Zin goes through.

Timeline: AU set right after "To Catch a Dessarian". 

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Author's Note: Finally, Mel and Cole get some fluff from me (sort of)… okay, so it eventually gets serious, but it takes a while to get there and it stays massively shippy, even by my standards. 

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Author's Note: Thanks a ton to Kameka for betaing this, "Thicker Than Water", and "In Sheep's Clothing", picking up on all the niggling errors, and making some really insightful comments. And for still putting up with me even afterwards, lol. 

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Chapter 1

"Thanks for helping me pack, Jess," Mel said, giving the girl another hug. "You sure you don't mind that I'm bringing Cole and not you?"

"Hey, you only won the two tickets," Jess pointed out. "You had to pick one of us. Romantic spot like Hawaii and you want to bring a female friend instead of _Cole_? Mel, you have _got_ to work on your priorities…"

Mel smiled and shook her head. Typical Jess. "You like this?" she asked, holding up one of the sarongs she had bought. 

"Oh, it's brilliant," Jess assured her, nodding. "The colors really bring out your freckles."

"And that's a 'no'," Mel muttered, balling it up and tossing it over her shoulder.

"Cole _loves_ those freckles, Mel," Jess laughed, running to retrieve it. "Trust me, Mel. Red is _you_. If you're that worried about the freckles, you can wear it to a Luau. It'll be dark." She neatly folded it and handed it to Mel. "_Trust_ me."

Mel looked from the sarong in her hands to Jess, regarding both thoughtfully. Shrugging, she dropped it into her suitcase. "What about this one?" Mel asked, holding up a blue one. "Got to love two-for-one sales."

"Oh, yeah." Jess nodded. "That one, too. The pattern will look great with your swimsuit."

"You think?" Mel asked, frowning uncertainly.

"I am _positive_," Jess told her, smiling.

"O…kay." Mel shrugged and added it to the suitcase. "God, I have four sarongs and only two changes of real clothing."

"Three," Jess said. "Unless you plan on flying over naked," she added with a grin.

"Cute." Mel rolled her eyes.

"Besides, sarongs qualify as real clothes."

"Then how come I've never seen _you_ wearing one?" Mel asked, putting her hands on her hips and looking at Jess with a raised eyebrow. 

"Because it's _Chicago_?" Jess countered, laughing. "Mel, come on. Cut loose a little. It's a _vacation_."

"Yeah, yeah…" Mel nodded and slipped a pair of jeans into the bag. 

"Cole will like them," Jess added with a grin.

"Jess, stop being a Yenta," Mel ordered, packing a few more items into her bag.

"A _what_?"

"A matchmaker. Stop it."

"Okay, okay." She held up her hands in surrender. "Where is Cole anyway?" Jess asked.

"Working," Mel provided, frowning faintly. She was a little worried that he was not back yet.

"Still? He is going to be back in time to catch the flight, isn't he?"

Mel nodded faintly. "He called this morning. He says he'll be back."

"Well, he'd better or I _am_ coming," Jess laughed. "Meet a rich doctor, give him your number…"

Mel shook her head. "Jess…"

They packed in silence for a few more minutes before Jess asked abruptly. "You think you'll get laid?"

  
"Jess!" Mel gasped.

"What, Mel?" Jess asked, affecting innocence. "They give out Leis at the airport." Her eyes sparkled with laughter.

"Cute," Mel muttered, shaking her head.

"Wonder how Cole would react to getting Lei'd?" Jess murmured, smiling to herself.

"Jess!"

"Bet he'd enjoy it," she added, sitting on the edge of the bed. "He strikes me as the type who _really_ would. Plus the girls all adore him, so he might get Lei'd more than once…"

Mel shook her head. "Jess…"

"You could get Lei'd _with_ him," Jess added, smirking. "Maybe you could even Lei him yourself."

"_Jess!_" Mel half-shouted. "Enough with the puns!"

"Actually, I wasn't going for puns. I was _trying_ for innuendo." Jess winked.

Mel closed her eyes and shook her head. "Why do I put up with you?"

"Because you love me, Mel," Jess said, grinning.

"Yeah, I do." Mel nodded and gave her best friend another hug. "But really… you need to lay off this obsession you have with getting me and Cole together."

"Mel, you know it's because I care about you. Both of you. You _belong_ together." She shook her head. "Bloody hell, every time you two look at each other the room's temperature goes up about ten degrees." 

"It does _not_!" Mel protested.

"You'd be surprised." Jess shrugged. "It's kind of obvious how you two feel. In fact, Jonas and I think--"

"_Jonas_?" Mel repeated, staring.

Jess nodded placidly. "Jonas and I think that the only two people who haven't realized how right you two are for each other is… well, you two."

"_Not_ going to happen, Jess," Mel sighed, moving a pile of clothes and dropping on to the bed next to her.

"Why not?" Jess asked. "Come on, Mel. He's gorgeous, he's sweet, and he adores you. What more can you ask for?"

Mel shook her head. "It's not going to happen. There are… complications."

"Aren't there always?" Jess asked. "You work through those."

"Not all complications _can_ be worked through." Mel shrugged. "Cole's a good friend, Jess. But that's _all_ he is." She shook her head. "Drop it. _Please_."

"I don't get you, Mel," Jess told her. "I really don't. I mean if it were me…"

"So why don't _you_ go after Cole?" Mel snapped, immediately regretting the suggestion. 

The last thing she needed was Jess making a move on innocent Cole. She did not even want to _think_ of the ramifications of something like that. Cole looked through most other women, but he might actually be vulnerable to Jess, given his fond feelings for her and his habit of tolerating her physical displays. It was not, she told herself firmly, that she did not want to see the two together, just that it would create problems. Secrets would have to come out. Cole had never even _kissed_ a woman before, a fact that would be fairly obvious to Jess and hard to explain away. A man Cole's age who looked like Cole should have at least _some_ experience with women. It would raise questions from a girl who was naturally curious anyway.

Jess shook her head faintly, her expression regretful. "Mel, Cole looks at me like I'm some kind of kid. Odd, really, that the only woman he really looks at like a woman is _you_…"

"Jess, please, just drop this," Mel whispered, shaking her head. 

Jess regarded her with a frown for a moment, then reached out and hugged her. There had been obvious regret in Mel's tone. "Okay, Mel. Shutting up now." She rose. "You know, I wasn't trying to upset you."

"I know, Jess." Mel nodded and packed the last few things into her bag. "Where's my swimsuit?" she asked, frowning and looking around.

"Here it is," Jess told her, picking it up and handing it over. 

"Thanks," Mel said, adding it to the top of the suitcase and closing it.

"Oh, you're welcome, Mel," Jess assured her.

Mel looked up quickly, frowning at her tone of voice. She was about to mention it when a familiar voice filtered through the apartment. 

"Mel? You here?"

Looking up and smiling widely, Mel raced from the bedroom. Grinning mischievously, Jess quickly opened the suitcase again, keeping one eye on the door as she quickly replaced one article with another that she had hidden under the bed earlier in the day. Her smile widening, she quickly hid the replaced item under the bed and closed the suitcase again.

Mel greeted Cole in the hallway with the requisite hug. "Hey, welcome home," she murmured in his ear. "I was worried."

Cole smiled apologetically and returned the hug. "I'm sorry, Mel. My fugitive was--"

Mel cut him off by pressing two fingers against his lips and jerking her head towards the bedroom door.

"It was more difficult than I had anticipated," Cole temporized, frowning faintly at the way his lips burned where her fingers had brushed them. He shook his head to clear it, giving Mel a last squeeze before reluctantly releasing his gentle hold on her.

"Hey, look who's back!" Jess said cheerfully, joining them in the hallway. Before Mel could question her as to her brief absence she said, "Move over, Mel. Let a girl hug him."

Smiling and shaking her head, Mel moved out away so Jess could jump into Cole's arms. As always when she hugged him, Cole's face was fixed in an uneasy grin, but he made no move to pull away or stop her. He really _was_ genuinely fond of her. Even if her open affection could be unsettling, he tolerated it for her sake. When she let go, he gifted the enthusiastic young Englishwoman with a warm smile.

"Hello, Jess. It's good to see you again, but what are you still doing here?" he asked her.

"Oh, just helping Mel finish packing," Jess told him, smiling. "And we were just all done, so why don't I get lost?"

"Okay, Jess. Thanks for the help," Mel said, hugging her.

"Bye, Mel," Jess said, hugging back. "Have fun in Hawaii. Lots and _lots_ of fun. And be sure to let me know what happens when Cole gets--"

"_Ah!_" Mel interrupted, glaring at Jess and raising one hand.

"Goodbye, Cole," Jess said cheerfully, giving him another hug before bouncing off.

"When I get what, Mel?" Cole asked curiously.

"Never mind. It's… Jess-speak," Mel said, shaking her head.

"I sometimes think that I'll never fully understand her, Mel," Cole murmured.

"I think that might be just as well, Cole," Mel chuckled, taking his arm. "Come on. I'll make you some dinner and you can tell me all about your fugitive."

"Okay, Mel," he nodded and obediently followed her into the kitchen.

***

When a Greeter tried to put a Lei around Cole's neck at the airport, he frowned and took a step backwards. He may have put up with uninvited physical contact from Jess, but _not_ from a complete stranger.

"It's okay, Cole," Mel told him gently, placing a restraining hand on his arm. "It's a local custom. Their way of saying welcome." Smiling, she bowed her head to let another young lady drape a Lei around her neck. "Thank you."

"Welcome to Hawaii," the girl said, smiling and glancing at Cole out of the corner of her eye. "Aloha."

Mel grinned. "Aloha," she returned the greeting. "Cole, you're on vacation. Would you just come down off of high-alert and let the girl give you the Lei?"

Cole shrugged and bent to allow the girl to put the Lei on him without having to stand on her toes. He straightened and smiled at her.

The girl colored under the force of that smile but still managed, "Welcome to Hawaii. Aloha."

"What does it mean?" Cole asked.

"It's a traditional greeting," Mel explained quietly, shaking her head as the two greeters broke into giggles. "Come on, Cole."

"Just a minute, Mel." Cole touched the cheek of the girl who had given him the Lei and she immediately fell silent and stared up at him with wide eyes. "Hwa Hwa'a'i ne'o kal'tra ka," he murmured, smiling down at her for a moment before joining Mel. 

"What was that?" Mel whispered, staring up at him. 

"A traditional greeting," Cole told her.

"Hmm. Well, I think you have some new admirers," Mel informed him, glancing over her shoulder to the two girls, appreciatively watching his retreat. The one he had given the traditional Cirronian greeting to looked stunned. Among other things.

Cole frowned faintly. "They're look at me the way Jess used to, Mel. I don't like it. It makes me nervous."

Poor Cole. He looked like he looked, and being admired for it could make him almost as anxious as physical contact.

"They don't mean any harm by it, Cole," she explained gently, looking up at him. "It's just that you are very attractive by human standards and humans enjoy looking at people they find attractive. And sometime those looks are a little…" She paused, looking for the right word.

"Predatory," Cole provided. He paused, frowning thoughtfully. "I'm attractive for a human?" he asked, startled.

Mel chuckled and nodded. "Oh, _yeah_, Cole. You definitely qualify as attractive." 

"Oh…" He wondered why, if she _did_ consider him attractive, she never fixed him with that predatory look, just that gentle smile of hers. "It was very nice of that girl to give me a Lei," he noted.

Mel grinned wryly. Jess' comments of the night before recurred to her. "Yes, Cole, it was very nice of her to… Lei you," she sniggered.

Cole frowned curiously at Mel. "Why are you laughing?"

"Never mind…" Mel shook her head and kept walking towards the baggage carousel. 

"Is that all they do, Mel?" Cole asked, following. "Giving necklaces to people?"

"Leis," she corrected him, nodding. "Yeah. Their job is to greet incoming travelers. Hawaii has a _huge_ tourism industry, so they can afford to hire people to do that. Adds to the mystique."

"Oh." Cole nodded faintly. "Orsus maintains a number of its old customs in connection with the tourism industry as well. There are our bags," he added, pointing. Leaving Mel's side, he wove easily through the thronging crowds and retrieved the luggage. 

"Orsus?" Mel repeated when he had returned to her side with the bags. 

"Yes, Mel. It is a popular vacation spot. People from all over the Alliance used to spend their vacations there." He smiled faintly. "It was popular with exoanthropologists as well," he added, weaving through the crowds.

"Of course it was," Mel agreed quietly, shrugging and following.

***

"Well, damn," Mel muttered, pausing in her unpacking.

"Is something wrong, Mel?"

"I can't find my swimming suit. I could have sworn I put it right on top…"

"Maybe you put it somewhere else in the bag?" he ventured. 

"Yeah, probably." Mel shrugged and nodded, reassured. "Maybe it shifted during the flight and slipped down the side. I'm sure it's in here somewhere." Smiling at him, Mel continued unpacking.

Cole nodded and resumed his own unpacking. Mel had brought him shopping a few days after winning the trip to Hawaii in a contest. They had selected a number of jeans, shorts, and button-down shirts, and then Mel had made him buy something called 'trunks' because they would be visiting the beach. He had also brought a number of books to read at night when Mel was sleeping.

He was just finishing his own unpacking when he heard a quiet, "I am going to _kill_ her…"

"Is something wrong, Mel?" he asked, frowning to hear such a threat from his typically gentle friend.

"No!" Mel assured him quickly, her voice anxious.

"Okay." Cole frowned but nodded. 

Mel looked into her suitcase again, shaking her head. Jess had, at some point after Cole had gotten home, replaced her conservative black one-piece swimsuit with a _very_ small red bikini. Well, she was just going to have to make due with it, she supposed, but she was definitely going to throttle Jess when they got home.

"Do you want to go out to dinner, or get room-service?" Mel asked as Cole nosed around the room, tucking the bikini out of the way before he could see it. 

"Room-service, I think, Mel," Cole said, pulling open the curtains to the sliding glass door leading on to the room's spacious patio.

"Nice…" Mel noted, opening the door and stepping outside. "Oh, wow, Cole! Look at that view," she breathed, resting her hands on the railing. Ocean on one side, jungle and mountain on the other, it looked more like a painting than an actual landscape.

Moving to stand next to her, Cole smiled widely. "Oh, this is _very_ beautiful, Mel. I can see why this place is so popular."

Mel smiled, pleased by his reaction. She had not been sure if he would appreciate the natural beauty of the place or, perhaps, dismiss it because of its lack of the kinds of technology that he had been accustomed to at home. He had made comments in the past about primitive human technologies, so she had wondered. Sometimes it was hard to tell exactly _how_ Cole perceived the human race and, by extension, Mel herself. 

At times, he treated her more like a child than an adult, never talking down to her or failing to listen to what she had to say, but not really relating to her the way that a man _should_ relate to a grown woman, either. Mel knew that she was as guilty as Cole in that regard. She had often, especially in the early days treated and viewed him as a child. Now she had started treating him more as an adult, but he still sometimes acted more like a protective parent than a friend. There were other times, though, when his manner towards her was unsettlingly that of a man towards a woman he was interested in: a shy smile, a request to dance, a spontaneous touch, a look just a little more intense than usual. 

Ignore her, treat her like a child, treat her like a woman: his seeming ambivalence was more than a little confusing to her. She told herself, firmly and frequently, that there was no way in hell that Cole was attracted to her. After all, she was not even a member of his species: she had pale eyes and **_fur_** and God only knew what other differences… Her appearance must have been, if not repulsive to him, at least strange. How could a man who was, under normal circumstances, a beautiful creature of light and energy be attracted to a strange alien woman of a species he had never even _seen_ before her? 

And why did he sometimes act as if he _was_?

For weeks, _months_, even, Cole had been acting more and more like… well, like a man who was interested in a woman. He sought out excuses to spend time alone with her. He touched her more freely, always seeking out some new excuse for that little human act of intimacy, one he had told her that Cirronians did _not_ as a rule indulge in. He remained uneasy over physical contact with anyone else, even with Jess whom he clearly adored, but he sought it out where Mel herself was involved. He frequently complimented her. And sometimes, in the bar or over dinner, she would look up and catch him just gazing at her. He always looked away immediately, but there could be no doubt that he _was_ doing it. He was a paradox, sometimes bold in his affections, sometimes shy, and sometimes seemingly indifferent. There were times when she felt like grabbing him by his shirt, shaking him, and screaming '_What do you **want**?_' 

The rest of the time, she was not entirely sure that she could handle knowing the answer to that one. It was as she had told Jess. It was _not_ going to happen. Even if he could possibly have been attracted to her, a relationship would have been fraught with difficulties. Starting with the fact that she belonged to a 'primitive' species. Plus there was his complete lack of understanding about human intimacy. Add on to those the reality that Cole would eventually have to _leave_… Then, as the coup de gras, there was the fact that Cole was still in mourning for his wife or, at the very least, still loved her. More than once, she had stumbled out of bed in the middle of the night for a glass of water to find Cole standing at the living room window, staring at the night sky and speaking in quiet Cirronian; speaking to Nallia, his first love and, perhaps, his _only_ love ever.

"Does it look like Orsus, Cole?" she asked gently, needing to change the track of her thoughts.

He smiled and shook his head. "No, Mel. Orsus does have many beautiful jungles, but the coloration is different. There are no green plants there."

"What color are they, then?" she asked, curious.

"Blue mostly. Some are red. Many different shades of each. It's beautiful to see. This forest, though, it looks more like the ones you would see on Dessaria." 

"I think that you can go to them, hike through them, if you want," Mel told him, noting his wistful expression when he mentioned the forests on Orsus and Dessaria. "That might be fun to do some day, if you'd like."

"I'd like that very much, Mel." He smiled at her, nodding and resting one hand on her arm.

Mel glanced down at his hand on her arm, ignoring the little thrill of desire she always felt these days when Cole touched her. Once upon a time, Cole had only ever touched her to offer comfort or to move her from point A to point B. Lately, he would touch her for many more reasons, or for no reason at all. She smiled up at him, enjoying actually having him to herself for once. And for a whole week. If she could ignore her own desire for him, it would be absolutely _wonderful_.

"There are a lot of things we can do while we're here," Mel told him. "I'd like to go to the beach at least once. The water's so much warmer here than it is in the Lake, even in the summer."

Cole smiled and nodded. "Then perhaps I will go swimming, too. What else is there to do here?"

"Oh, lots of things… Later we can go down to the Entertainment Coordinator's office and grab a complete list."

Cole smiled and nodded. "That would be nice, Mel. Should we order our dinner now?"

"Okay." Mel nodded agreeably. "Menu's inside." Sensing Cole's reluctance to leave the beautiful view, she said, "I'll go inside and get it. We can even eat out here if you'd like," she added, nodding towards a small table.

Cole smiled widely and nodded. "Yes, Mel. I would like that _very_ much."

"Okay. I'll grab the menu." 

"Thank you, Mel."

"What do you say after we eat we take a walk on the beach?" Mel suggested.

"But it will be dark," he protested. 

"The moon's almost full. It'll be nice."

Cole shrugged and nodded. "Okay, Mel," he agreed easily. "Sounds nice." 

Mel smiled and nodded. "Yeah, it does. There's nothing like a moonlight stroll to really--" Mel winced. Could she have picked a more romantic after-dinner activity with Cole?

Cole regarded her curiously for a moment, then shrugged it off. Mel often had sudden shifts in her mood, usually related to some activity or other she was engaging in with him. She was a paradox to the Cirronian, sometimes easy and open around him and sometimes nervous beyond all reason. Just when he thought that the abhorrent physical and emotional gap between them was finally beginning to be bridged, she would retreat again. 

He hated that gap, that distance, wanted nothing more than to banish it once and for all. The Cirronian had experienced a taste of that desired closeness after the art museum, and it left him wanting more. Mel's proximity, her touch, those things were like a drug to him. Exhilarating, intoxicating, addictive… Mind-altering. There were times when it alone sustained him, when the knowledge that Mel would be there to greet him with a hug was all that kept him going on a particularly difficult Track.

He supposed that it should have worried him, his increasing dependency on her, but it did not. Nothing that felt so right could possibly be wrong. He had been _meant_ to find this woman, he was sure, to become hers. And though he still talked to Nallia from habit and for comfort, he no longer felt her presence when he did so. She had let him go, and now his heart was whispering to him to let _her_ go, to start down a new path. Watching Mel return to the hotel room to order their dinner, he hoped that he was meant to travel that path at her side.

After they had ordered their dinner, Mel pulled out her calling card and called Jess in Chicago. 

"Watchfire."  


"I am going to _kill_ you."

"Hi, Mel…" Jess giggled. "Kill me if you want. It'll still look cute on you!"

"The other one looked _fine_ on me!"

"It showed off nothing! This one will look better, Mel. Look, just trust me…"

"_Trust_ you, Jess? After you--"

Muffled, "No, I'll tell you in a minute, Jonas."

"You will _not_!" Mel snapped.

"Okay, Mel."

Mel frowned at Jess' tone. "I _mean_ it…" she threatened.

"Look. Hold off judgment until you get back. Then you can decide if you want to kill me or… thank me." Jess giggled again.

Mel made a face. "Any _other_ surprises I should know about?" she demanded.

"Oh, none to speak of," Jess assured her, giggling once more.

"You are _so_ dead," Mel announced.

"Trust me, Mel, you'll thank me soon enough."

"I seriously doubt it."

"Mel, I've got to go. Customers, you know."

"Jess, this conversation is not… Jess?" Mel sighed deeply, hanging up the phone. "Yeah. She is _dead_."

"Mel, who do you keep threatening?" Cole asked gently, frowning uncertainly. "Is something wrong?"

Mel's expression softened at his obvious worry. "Oh, Cole, the threats aren't genuine," she assured him gently. "I promise not to kill anyone. I'm just a little upset with Jess right now."

Cole tilted his head thoughtfully. "Jess is a difficult woman to understand, Mel, but very sweet and always well-meaning."

Mel could not help but smile at his conciliatory words. Cole really did adore Jess in his own way. "I know she is, Cole. She just… as well-meaning as she is, her ideas don't always work out as well as she thinks they will," she told him.

"The Ladies Night worked out very well," he pointed out with a gentle smile, returning to the view he had abandoned.

Mel flushed at his mention of the notorious 'Ladies Night'. Cole dancing on the bar and taking his clothes off… Definitely _not_ easy to forget. Not that she would really _want_ to, she reflected, grinning faintly. Shaking her head and composing herself, she joined Cole on the balcony. The Cirronian was watching the sunset, entranced.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" she asked..

He nodded, looking down at Mel. "Beautiful," he whispered, smiling warmly at her. "Gorgeous, Mel…"

Mel shivered at his tone of voice and the smile in his eyes. "Gorgeous," she agreed, nodding weakly. She licked her lips, wrapping her hands around the railing when her knees threatened to give out.

"Mel," Cole began slowly, lifting one hand towards her throat.

"Yeah, Cole?" Mel murmured. 

Leaning towards him and smiling shyly, she invited the impending caress and any that he cared to follow it up with. If the look in his eyes was any indication, there _would_ be more. _Many_ more, she hoped.

She let out a startled yelp at the sound of someone rapping on the door to their room, jumping backwards and flattening herself against the railing. 

Startled, Cole reached out to steady her. "It's okay, Mel," he assured her gently. "It's okay. It's probably just room service with our food."

She gave a weak smile, flushing bright red. "Sorry, Cole. Just… surprised me a little."

He nodded, smiling gently down at her and giving her throat a reassuring caress. "It's okay, Mel. I'll get it. You stay here and calm yourself."

"Smooth, Mel," she whispered to herself when he was gone, shaking her head and turning to watch the sun finally dip behind the horizon. "Get it together," she whispered. 

__

Just a vacation. _Not_ a romantic getaway, she reminded herself firmly. Closing her eyes, she shook her head firmly, symbolically clearing it. _That_ lasted until she opened her eyes to see Cole smiling tenderly down at her. It was going to be a long week…


	2. Chapter 2

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Chapter 2

Mel rolled over and buried her face in her pillows, smiling to herself. Her dreams the night before had been wonderful, dreams of Cole. She almost _always_ had dreams of Cole lately, but these had been exceptional. The moonlight stroll that had failed to pan out the night before because of a threatening rainstorm had unfolded in her dreams, the two of them walking hand in hand down the moonlit beach before stopping to share a slow dance. It had culminated with an absolutely breathtaking kiss which was, amazingly, as far as she had ever gone with Cole in her dreams. She was reluctant to relinquish such a lovely dream, so she clung to sleep long after she was fully conscious, trying to reclaim it. 

  
"Mel?" Cole's voice invaded her drowsy state, rousing her. "Mel, are you awake?"

"Sort of," she muttered, rolling on to her back and opening her eyes. "Hey, Cole," she greeted him, suddenly wondering what those lips would feel like against hers in reality. "You have a good night?"

"Yes, Mel. I read a book about the native culture here. It was very interesting."

Mel smiled up at him, pulling her covers to her chin and holding them there. "I'm glad. What time is it?" she yawned, stretching. 

"Very early, Mel. Not even six yet."

"Oh, right. The time zone difference…" Mel nodded and yawned again, reluctantly sitting up. "Guess that means we can get an early start."

"Yes, Mel." He smiled and nodded. "I ordered room service when I sensed that you were beginning to wake," he told her. 

"Oh, you're a doll." Mel smiled and flopped back into the bed. 

"I am, Mel?" he asked, confused.

"Yeah. You really are." She grinned up at him, shaking her head. "It means you're a sweet person," she explained gently.

"Oh. Okay." He smiled and nodded. "You are a doll, too, Mel."

She chuckled and shook her head. Content and languid and completely at ease for the first time in ages, she was also feeling a bit playful. Grinning, she reached up and caught his hand, tugging until he consented to sit down on the edge of the bed.

"So… what do Cirronians do while vacationing on Orsus?" she inquired.

Cole smiled back, liking Mel's more relaxed and open way of behaving while on vacation. He could sense how calm and happy she was, more calm and happier than she had been since their initial meeting. It was a change that he could see himself getting used to. Perhaps, when they got back to Chicago, he could find little ways of encouraging such behavior from her. Perhaps, if he was lucky, he could even find a way to inspire such joy from her.

"We do many things, Mel. There are nature hikes, and archeological sites to visit, and there are beaches and restaurants and others to keep company with." His smile grew nostalgic. "When Nallia and I were first married, we went to Orsus often. It was beautiful, Mel. Very… _alive_ and… romantic. Especially romantic, Mel."

"Sounds nice," Mel told him, smiling faintly. "A lot of couples, well _human_ couples, come to Hawaii for their honeymoon. Um, that's a short vacation that a lot of human couples take alone together during the time right after they get married."

He smiled and nodded. "Many other cultures do the same, Mel. An Enixian couple may go into isolation for up to a month."

"Yeah, well, knowing what Enixians look like…"

Cole chuckled. "Enixians are quite beautiful to other Enixians, Mel," he pointed out. 

She nodded faintly. "Yeah, I guess that members of any species are beautiful to each other."

"And sometimes to others," Cole added gently, smiling and gently caressing her throat. 

Mel's eyes widened as it occurred to her exactly what she was doing: laying in bed discussing romance and romance and _love_ with Cole as he smiled down at her and pet her too-sensitive throat. What worried her even more than the situation itself was the fact that he was obviously enjoying touching her as much as she was enjoying _being _touched by him. It was just too romantic, too intimate. Other than the fact that they were not married, they could as easily have been just another pair of honeymooners. A casual observer certainly would not have been able to tell the difference. 

More and more, that was true of the relationship between Cole and herself. They had quickly gone from being complete strangers to being closer than _most_ couples. It was nerve-wracking to Mel at times, euphoric at others, and never anything in between. Her mind screamed at her that a relationship between them could never work, was doomed at the outset. It was true, too, and rationally she _knew_ it. Her heart simply refused to listen.

Sensing her increasingly turbulent emotional state, Cole reluctantly withdrew his hand from her throat and rose. "What are we going to do today, Mel?" he asked, hoping to distract her from whatever had upset her.

"Well, let's go down to the entertainment coordinator's office and grab a schedule before we decide. Might be something fun on there."

Ten minutes later, in the Entertainment Coordinator's office, Mel had found her 'something fun'. "Oh! Hula lessons, Cole!" she exclaimed, smiling. "I've always wanted to try the Hula."

He peered over his own copy of the schedule, his expression curious. "What is a 'Hula', Mel?"

She grinned. "It's a native dance."

  
He smiled and nodded. "It sounds fun. We should take these lessons. I like dancing with you."

Mel, assailed by a mental image of Cole in a grass skirt and coconut bra, was momentarily rendered speechless. "Uh, Hula would be a native dance generally preformed only by _females_, Cole."

"Oh." He nodded faintly. "I'll just watch then."

"Oh, come on. There has to be something on there that interests you," Mel coaxed. "It's a vacation. Have fun! Expand your horizons!"

Since Mel seemed fairly insistent, Cole nodded and regarded the list again, pursing his lips thoughtfully before smiling. "This one looks fun, Mel," he announced, pointing. "But what's that word?"

"Maori," Mel provided. "Lessons on how to perform a Maori fire-dance. Sounds interesting." She nodded faintly. 

"Definitely interesting," the Entertainment Coordinator provided from her desk, smiling up at them. She was almost as fair-skinned as Mel, but she dressed like a native, absently used Hawaiian words while talking, claimed to be a 'kanaka maoli', and her name-tag read 'Nahoa'. Cole was absolutely fascinated with the large flower tucked behind one ear, 'for malihini' according to her, and he kept turning his attention from the list in his hands back to it. Nahoa politely ignored his scrutiny. "Though it _is_ fairly challenging and _not_ generally recommended for beginners…"

"Oh, Cole will be fine," Mel told her. "He is an _incredibly_ fast learner."

Nahoa shrugged. "Well, if he thinks he can handle it, he's welcomed in the class. Sound good to you, Cole?" she asked.

He nodded faintly. "It sounds interesting. I like to dance and it has been my experience that many native dances are similar in style and at least the _basic_ movements."

Mel raised an eyebrow, curious as to where along the line the teacher-turned-Tracker had become an expert on native dance styles. And on which planet…

Nahoa grinned. "Ah, so you _do_ have some experience with these sorts of dances? Good. That'll make it _way_ easier on you. Let's get you signed up," she suggested, searching her desk for the sign-up sheet. "I think Keoni, our kumu for Maori olapa, has one slot left open… it's a small class."

"Oh, look, Cole. It says that some of the people who take dancing lessons can perform at the Luau tonight if they want. You going to drag me up and stage and make me Hula?" Mel joked.

"I'd like to see you Hula, Mel. You should do it."

"No," she said firmly, crossing her arms over her chest. "The lessons will be fun and I will give you a private rendition later. _Maybe_. But I am _not_ doing it in public."

Cole frowned faintly but nodded anyway. "Okay, Mel…"

***

"You were not kidding about his learning curve," Nahoa said, seeking Mel out at the Luau. "I just talked to Keoni and he says that he has _never_ seen a Haole move like this one. Sucked at it at first. For about five minutes. Now he is…"

"Missing in action," Mel said, looking up as the bartender approached. "Mart… no, it's a Luau. Let's go with a Mai Tai."

"Coming right up, ma'am," he told Mel, smiling and nodding.

Mel resumed looking around. It was hard to make out facial features in the crowd, with the only light provided by several dozen Tiki torches and the bonfire outside the large pavilion, but she was relatively certain that Cole was not there. She frowned in concern, wondering if he could possibly have run into a fugitive, but her frown gave way to a smile when she was hit with a mental image of Zin in Bermuda shorts. It was a silly concern anyway, she knew. There was no reason for there to be any fugitives in Hawaii. Still smiling over that hard-to-shake mental image of Zin, she continued to scan the crowd.

"He's getting suited up," Nahoa provided, noticing her scrutiny of the crowd. "Keoni talked him into sharing his talents with the crowd. Didn't even have to get him drunk, which--"

"Nahoa!" 

"Keoni! Aloha!" She grinned and delivered a quick salute in the direction of the short, skinny man with about 80 tattoos ambling toward them in nothing but a grass skirt and Lei. "This is Melanie."

"Melahna… sounds Hawaiian." He smiled warmly at Mel, his black eyes laughing. "Mind if I call you Mea A'a?" he asked, winking. "It means 'adventurous one'. _Are_ you adventurous?" he asked innocently.

"Stop flirting with the guests," Nahoa suggested, smiling and shaking her head. "This is Melanie who is here with _Cole_."

His eyes widened along with his smile and he nodded readily. "Of course, the radiant Mel! Your reputation precedes you. But you need to have a long talk with Cole because his descriptions of you, although they _are_ frequent, completely fail to do you justice… Radiant does not _begin_ to cover it. Although I think I _will_ call you Mea A'a… Cole says that you're very brave," he confided.

"_Not_ brave enough to get up on that stage after the way I screwed up those Hula lessons, but I have my moments," Mel said, accepting her drink from the bartender with a nod and a thanks. "Nice skirt by the way," she added, not sure what else _to_ say to a tattooed flirt of a man, wearing nothing but a skirt and Lei, who was smaller than Jess and twice as exuberant.

Keoni grinned and bowed his head in acknowledgement of her words. "Wait until you see Cole in his."

Mel laughed and shook her head at the joke.

"You know, I think we can probably find one to fit you," Keoni offered.

  
"Thanks but no thanks." Mel grinned and shook her head.

"My loss," he said, shrugging. 

Nahoa rolled her eyes. "Ignore him. He thinks it's cute."

"No. I think _I _am cute." Keoni winked at Mel. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go keep Cole from burning down the pavilion."

"Burning down the pavilion?" she repeated with wide eyes.

"The fire-dance involves lit torches," Keoni explained.

"And he's so bad at it that you're afraid he's going to set something on fire?" she whispered, staring at him.

"No. He's actually pretty good. Just has this _bizarre_ fixation with burning torches. At the rate he's going, he's going to burn them out before he gets on to the stage." Shrugging, Keoni trotted off, taking advantage of his slight form to weave nimbly through the crowd as if it did not exist.

"Sorry about him," Nahoa told Mel with a smile. "He's a kolohe we love him anyway." She shook her head. "You should see him on caffeine."

Mel smiled, amused. "_That_ guy with a buzz? Probably _not_ for the uninitiated…" 

"Tell me about it." She rolled her eyes and smiled at Mel. "Hey, got to get now. Aloha."

"Aloha," Mel replied, shaking her head. "_Strange guy…_" 

She sipped at her drink, wondering if Keoni had been serious about Cole's pyromaniacal tendencies. A line of thought that was completely put out of her head when a group of step-dancers vacated the stage and Keoni jumped up long enough to announce cheerfully into the mike that his newest, most talented, and now-favorite student would be performing a traditional fire-dance next. Idly, she wondered if Cole really had learned that quickly, which was certainly a possibility, or if it was normal for them to compliment students on their accomplishments to such an extent, sucking up to the tourists. Either way, she was looking forward to seeing Cole in motion. That was always a sight worth seeing whether he was stripping, slow-dancing, or just walking down the street. She picked up her drink and spilled half of it on herself as Cole stepped onto the stage.

"_My God in Heaven,_" she whispered once her heart started beating again.

Keoni had not been joking about the grass skirt… Cole sauntered confidently on to stage, twirling a torch lit on both sides in each hand, and wearing a grass skirt, a smile, a thin sheen of either oil or sweat, and not much else if the cheers from the women closest to stage were any indication. He scanned the crowd for a moment, smiling and waving a torch in her direction when he spotted her. Smiling automatically, she lifted one hand in acknowledgement before draining her glass and grabbing the bartender.

"I need another drink right now. And please make it stronger."

"Friend of yours?" he asked with a grin, refilling her glass.

Mel nodded faintly and took a long sip of the drink. When the drums started, she grabbed the bartender again.

"Just keep them coming," she directed, unable to tear her eyes from the stage long enough to even notice the bartender's faint smirk at her reaction. But he kept the drinks coming and Mel kept drinking.

The drums beat out a quick, frantic rhythm as Cole danced on stage, moving his hips in time and twirling the torches fast enough that she could not distinguish the individual burning ends, only a ring of fire. He occasionally switched each to the other hand with a single, deft toss. Once upon a time, Mel had thought that taking his clothes off while dancing was about as sexual as Cole got. She had been _wrong_. 

Very, very wrong.

The beat from the drums alone was strong, primal, masculine, aggressive, physical, and _incredibly_ erotic… and Cole was one-upping it. Consummately.

Half the women in the audience were as stunned to silence by the display as she was. The rest were cheering loudly enough to more than make up for the lack. The men were cheering him on just as loudly, if for different reasons, impressed by the physical display and Cole's endurance in dancing on and on without ever losing rhythm with the increasingly rapidly tempo. And he was not even breaking a sweat or, for that matter, showing any sign of being likely to do so any time soon.

Mel was sure her heart was beating at least as fast as the drums as she watched his body move in short, quick, aggressive bursts that still managed to seem fluid simply because they were so consistent with the beating drums and with each other. Not to mention being unsettling consistent with the look on his face, the wildest, most feral expression she had _ever_ seen on the face of a man who was not some psychotic alien trying to kill her. His eyes had at first followed the movement of the torches in his hands, but now she doubted if they saw _anything_ going on in front of him. He was in his own world. He had managed to work himself into something between a trance and a frenzy, but he _never_ lost control… Not of his own movements and not of his captive audience. 

And through it all, he wore a facial expression somewhere between a manic smile and a savage snarl as glassy eyes automatically tracked to follow the light of his torches. His expression was a few notches above that of a man at the height of the most amazing sex of his life. Which, judging by the way he was moving now, would probably be pretty fantastic, Mel decided, draining another glass. Never tearing her eyes from Cole, she reached backwards, groping around on the bar until she found her next drink. 

When the drums stopped, so did Cole, as quickly and abruptly as if a switch had been thrown. He stood completely still on the stage, his breathing heavy but not at all labored, an almost ecstatic smile on his face. As the audience screamed and cheered, the only thing he seemed aware of was Mel herself. He stood on stage for a full minute, his expression slowly returning to normal as he watched Mel, completely absorbed with her. Wearing a tender, docile expression that stood in stark contrast to his earlier, feral one, he jumped fluidly off the stage and walked straight towards her. The crowd parted before him as if still under the spell he had cast while on stage. 

And why not? _Mel_ was still completely under that spell. 

And when Cole reached her and transferred both torches to one hand so that he could stroke her throat, she was not even aware that her glass had slid from her hand and shattered at her feet. All she was aware of was fingers skimming over flesh even more sensitive than usual, of an incredible, electric thrill that completely failed to stop at her throat, exploding outwards until there was no one in the universe but Cole and herself. Inhibition and restraint had absolutely no place in this realm of Cole's creation. 

"_God, Cole,_" she breathed, wrapping one arm around his neck and resting her free hand against his heaving chest. She realized that his heartbeat was not even elevated. That much endurance… "Oh, God. _Wow…_"

"Oh, Mel, that felt _amazing_," Cole murmured, wrapping one arm around her waist. He did not even take notice when Keoni removed the still-burning torches from his other hand, simply using the opportunity to wrap his other arm around Mel as well and pull her body flush against his.

If Mel had been even slightly more sober or a little less entranced, she would have panicked at that moment. In Cole's arms, there was no denying exactly how aroused he was. It was positively indecent to be that excited in public and she knew it. She simply did not care. She was right there with him.

"_God,_" she moaned again, pressing her face into his chest. She inhaled deeply, drinking in his amazing, spicy scent, mingled with a new one, muskier. She had never wanted him, or _anyone_, this badly in her entire life. It was a desire beyond wanting. This was hunger, _need_, and his amazing smell, heaving chest, and aroused state were only compounding it. Without even trying, Cole had managed to seduce her. Innocent Cole. "Where did you learn to _move_ like that?" she demanded abruptly, staring up at him with a confused expression. 

That had _not_ been her Cole up there, could not have been. Cole was gentle, methodical, tender. That creature up on stage had been a wild, frantic, sexual being. And this man, while _very_ aroused and watching her with undeniable passion in his expression, was still her gentle, tender Cole.

"Orsus," he laughed in answer to her question, smiling down at her and trying to pull her more firmly against his body. It felt wonderful to hold her like this and the effect of his arousal on her was not lost on him. _She was not pulling away!_ He laughed again, feeling euphoric. "Mostly on Orsus. And Waikiki…"

Mel giggled at the amendment. "Wacky what now, Daggon? Which planet is that again?"

His smile faded slightly. "Are you drunk, Mel?"

"Yup, and it's _all your fault_," she teased, regarding him with an undeniably amorous expression.

"Mel?" He frowned uncertainly. "How much have you had to drink?"

"Not nearly enough, because I don't think I'm _ever_ going to be able to forget what I just saw. Not that I would _want_ to, but I foresee a _lot_ of cold showers in the future," she admitted. 

"Mel, too much alcohol is bad for you," he pointed out gently. "It can cause tissue damage and kill brain cells…"

"It only kills the weak ones," Mel assured him, planting a kiss on his chest, over his heart. His flesh burned under her lips, more heated than she had ever felt it. Worry overrode desire. "You're hot, Cole… Your skin, it's burning up." She frowned up at him. "Are you okay?"

"_Better_ than okay," he assured her, nodding. "But I could use some fresh air."

"Yeah, me, too… let's get out of here."

He smiled and nodded. Fresh air and time alone with Mel, _exactly_ what he needed. "I'll give you the skirt back tomorrow, Keoni," he muttered distractedly to the grinning man, half-carrying Mel from the pavilion. "We'll miss the food, Mel," he noted.

"That's fine by me. _My God, Cole_. You were _amazing_ up there."

"It _felt_ amazing, Mel. I've never felt like that before in my life."

"You looked like you were in a trance or something."

"The fire," he explained, gathering her into her arms again now that they were alone in the cool night air. Again, she did not pull away, in spite of the fact that he was still quite obviously aroused. "It was the fire…"

"What about it?" she murmured, relaxing against him. Alone with him, there was even less reason to fight what she was feeling.

"The fire reminded me of a joining. The light and power and the way it flickers and pulses… There is a strong psychological connection for Cirronians between fire and mating. The whole thing reminded me of a joining, really. More physical, but… similar emotions. You're beautiful in the moonlight, Mel," he noted, stroking her throat. "Firelight… seeing _you_ in the light from the torches, the look on your face… Oh, God, Mel… Can _you_ move like that?" he asked abruptly. "I would _love_ to see you move like that." He closed his eyes at that mental image and abruptly found that a state of arousal that he did not think could have gotten any stronger or more insistent _had._

"I don't know if I can. We can try. Maybe we could…" She took a deep breath before finishing, "Move like that together?"

His body had a very obvious reaction to that statement. 

It was all Mel needed. "Take me back to the hotel room," she ordered, kissing his throat. "Dear God, Cole… How about a repeat performance once we get there?"

He nodded quickly. Even _he_ was not uneducated enough about human physiology to miss what she was asking him for. In spite of his earlier exertions, he felt more than capable of answering that request. All night long. _Anything_ to hear her saying his name in that tone of wonder again, to feel her body yielding against his, more accommodating than it had been, even during that amazing dance she had shared with him. 

Anything at all to please Mel, to give her exactly what she wanted now and he had wanted for months. He was no longer even concerned about his inexperience, a consideration that usually troubled him greatly when he reflected on a physical joining with Mel. He could figure it out as he went along. He was _not_ worried. He had seen her reaction during his dance. He _would_ see her react so again.

Laughing, he scooped her up into his arms, cradling her against his chest. "Repeat performance, Mel," he agreed, feeling breathless. "Maybe no skirt this time…"

"Sounds good," she murmured into his neck, her lips quickly becoming otherwise occupied there. She giggled when the startled Cirronian nearly dropped her. "You don't like it?"

"I like it a lot, Mel. You can do that to me whenever you want. As often as you want to," he added.

"I'll remember that." She nodded and smiled up at him, relaxing into his strong grip. Was this her Cole or that creature from the stage? Tender and gentle or primal and erotic? Did it matter? "Speaking of the grass skirt, Cole. Are you wearing anything else?"

"No, Mel."

"Good. Because I am not in the mood to waste _any_ time once we get into bed. In fact, the sand is probably pretty soft."

"Mel, you are _not_ sleeping in the sand."  


"Sleeping was _not_ what I had in mind." She drew his earlobe between her lips, nibbling it. "That's not a side to you I've seen before."

"It's not a side I've ever really felt before, Mel," he confessed. "The drums and the _flame_… they took over. But it _was_ amazing. Did you like it?" he asked, carrying her across the lobby and ignoring the looks they were getting.

"It was a little scary," she admitted, shrugged as he carried her into the elevator. "You weren't gentle like you normally are. You looked so ferocious… _dangerous_, almost."

"I can be _very_ dangerous, Mel," he told her honestly. "But with you, only ever gentle," he promised.

"Good." Mel smiled up at him. "Watching you up there was… _quite_ an experience, but I think I like having gentle Cole better."

"If you like him better, he's yours," Cole promised, shifting Mel in his arms to open the door. "You called me Daggon in there, Mel. You've never called me that before."

"You _were_ Daggon in there, Cole. Not gentle, not sweet. You were strong, dominant. Bed, please."

"Dominant?" he chuckled, carefully setting her where she requested.. "What makes you think Daggon is a _dominant_ creature, Mel?"

She ignored the question. "You were in complete control of every man and woman in that place and they didn't even _know_ it," she breathed. "You had me… completely under your spell."

He frowned faintly, sitting on the edge of the bed and stroking her throat. "Mel, I don't _want_ you under any spell. I don't want control, either."

"What _do_ you want then?" She smiled up at him, rising and untying her sarong. Smiling at him, she let it fall to the floor. Her bra and underwear quickly joined them there as he looked on, stunned.

"Mel, lay down," Cole murmured, shaking his head. Exactly as he did not want her under some spell, exactly as he did not want to control her, he could not share this with her while she was so severely intoxicated that she was not herself. She was so beautiful, so _inviting_ standing there before him like that, but he simply could not. It would have been beyond wrong. "You've had too much to drink."

Mel grinned faintly. "Answer me and I might just consider joining you in that bed, Cole. What _do_ you want from me?"

"Not much, Mel." Cole smiled gently at her, rising and scooping her up into his arms. "I'll get your pajamas," he announced, depositing her on the bed.

"I'm not going to need them!" Mel called after him, laughing, but she was already asleep by the time he returned.

Sighing, he changed her into them and tucked her in. Shaking his head, he sat down on the edge of the bed. "What do I _want_? Don't you know yet?" he whispered, smoothing her hair out of her face. 

He spent almost an hour watching her sleep before retreating to the other bed, in dire need of a meditative cycle to recharge both his mind _and_ his body. His thoughts kept turning back to the woman on the bed next to his, though, making meditation impossible. She had asked of him what he had been wanting to give to her for months now. Intoxicated or not, the desire _must_ have already been within her. Part of him felt that he should have given in to her request, to become one with Mel, to give her what she asked of him. One night in her arms, but taken in such a way that she would never trust him again. Measured against the possibility of an eternity without her love _or_ her touch. 

He would take that eternity, no contest. But that did not stop his throat from remembering the feel of her lips, or his body from remembering the way hers had felt against it when she was completely receptive to the idea of them coming together as one. Her voice breathing his name. That memory was the hardest, not helped by the fact that she was now talking in her sleep. To _him_. Or some dream avatar conjured by her mind to give her what he could not. Not that it mattered, since it was her name on his lips and he _had_ to hear it.

"Oh, that's nice… Mmm, oh God, Cole."

"Not tonight, Mel," he breathed, more than half prayer. "Why don't you dream about _Vic_?" he suggested.

"I love your hands."

He sighed and opened his eyes, sitting up. "I know you do. What about _me_, though?" he murmured, shaking his head as she moaned again.

"Wow… Oh, Cole, _yes_… yeah, like that. There… God, Cole…" 

Cole was ready to leave when her hand came to rest against her throat. He stopped, then, regarding her uncertainly. The Cirronian watched, fascinated as Mel's hand brushed her throat, her fingers moving restlessly. He had never seen a Cirronian woman doing anything even remotely similar. No Cirronian woman would _have_ to. That was what Cirronian _men_ were for. Of course, Mel was _not_ Cirronian, but she did have a sensitive throat, and she loved it when he touched her there, caressing the silky skin for a moment or two. No other touch he had ever bestowed on her had come even close to affecting her the way that one did. And now she was doing it to herself as she slept, speaking his name exactly as he had always wanted to hear it from her lips…

"Yes, Cole! Oh, God…" She giggled faintly in her sleep. "Where did you learn to do _that_?" she laughed. "Ooh… Mmm… **_Cole!_**"

Groaning a quiet protest, Cole rose and fled to the sanctuary of the bathroom, locking himself inside. Even through the door, he could still hear Mel giving voice to her dreams of him, until he turned on the shower, drowning out the sound of her voice. A shower was definitely called for right now. He _loved_ hot showers, but in recent weeks, as his attraction to Mel became more and more insistent, he had come to understand the value of the cold kind as well. 

__

Very cold tonight, he decided. That dance, Mel's subsequent behavior, bearing witness to Mel's dream… He was still buzzing from the adrenaline rush of the first, still trying to make sense of the second. And, now, climbing into an ice-cold shower in spite of the fact that it was physically painful for him, he tried desperately to forget the third. 


	3. Chapter 3

****

Chapter 3

Mel came awake to the awareness that she was in a great deal of pain. "Ow…"

"Good afternoon, Mel," Cole greeted her gently.

"Afternoon?" she asked, shaking her head and instantly regretting it as the pain in her head exploded. "_Ah!_" she protested, clutching her head. "What the hell happened?"

"You drank too much," Cole told her gently, resting one hand against her forehead and releasing healing, soothing energy to ease her headache. 

  
"Why did I… oh, dear God." She covered her mouth with her hand. "Dear God!" she said again, feeling that it definitely _did_ bear repeating. "Cole, this may, um, may sound like a strange question but… was I hallucinating from the Mai Tais or did you… uh, have on… a grass skirt and nothing else last night?" she asked quickly, running the last several words together.

"Yes, Mel." He smiled and nodded. "Well, that and the torches…"

"Ah… Right, them. I remember them. Sort of… Thought I just had a _really_ strange dream." She frowned at the faint smile on his face, but dismissed it from her mind. "I wonder how many brain cells I killed last night?"

"Before I put you to bed, you said only the weak ones would die," he provided.

"You… you put me to bed?" Mel whispered, pulling back the covers and staring down at her pajama-clad body. "Cole, I did _not_ wear pajamas to the Luau…"

He frowned faintly at that pronouncement. "No, Mel. You wore a sarong. The pajamas came after we got back to the room." 

He felt a little guilty for misrepresenting the matter to her, but he felt that it would probably be easier for her if she did not know that she had taken her own clothes off for another purpose entirely and he had put the pajamas on her himself after she was already unconscious. Obviously she did not remember that by the time they had returned to the hotel room she had already invited him into her bed. Even her memories of the Luau itself seemed spotty, so he doubted she remembered many of the things they had said and done. It would be best, he decided, if he could spare her as much embarrassment as possible over her uncharacteristic behavior.

She gave a nervous laugh. "Right… Uh… damn I could use something on my stomach before I--" She stopped as Cole proffered a plate of French toast.

"It's not too heavy, is it?" he asked, frowning in concern. "I wasn't sure how much your stomach would be able to handle. There are English muffins as well," he offered.

"I think I'll start with one of those," she sighed, flopping back onto the pillows and closing her eyes. 

What a night… The grass skirt, the torches, Cole doing things with a human body that Mel had not known it was _possible_ to do, a faint recollection of being _carried_ back to their room. And then the _dreams_. Not that she could have watched Cole do that kind of dance and avoid those kinds of dreams. Not that she was complaining about the dreams…

The dreams…

Mel, who had been talking in her sleep since childhood, could only think of one word to adequately express her feelings at the moment. "**_Shit!_**"

"Is something wrong, Mel?" Cole asked gently, frowning at her obvious agitation.

She hesitated, staring up at him as he gave her a concerned look and proffered half an English muffin. She accepted that, closing her eyes again. 

"Did I… talk in my sleep… at all last night?" she whispered.

Cole nodded faintly. She seemed mortified at the thought that he might have heard what he had to say. "It was… muffled," he managed, uncomfortable and annoyed with himself for saying things that were not true, even to spare Mel pain.

"Oh. Good!" She smiled anxiously, nodding and stuffing the English muffin into her mouth to avoid further conversation.

Satisfied that Mel would not question him further on _that_ topic, Cole rose and opened the window. "What should we do today, Mel?"

"I'd like to visit the beach, but we don't have to if you'd rather not."

Cole smiled and nodded. "The beach sounds nice, Mel. Will you show me how to swim?"

"Sure." Mel grinned and nodded, sitting up and climbing out of bed. Her mood was immensely improved already and a few aspirin would take care of the worst of her hangover. "I can't believe you never learned how to swim. Don't they have water up there?"

"Of course they do, Mel." Cole nodded. "Cirronians just don't swim," he explained as she gathered together several articles of clothing. When she entered the bathroom and closed the door, he raised his voice so she could hear him. "Cirron has many species of aquatic predators."

"Really?" she called. 

"Oh, yes, Mel. And water on most other planets is just too cold. So most Cirronians never learn to swim."

"Well, the water here is much warmer than the water in Chicago," Mel assured him, emerging from the bathroom wrapped in her red sarong. "I think you'll probably enjoy it."

"Mel, that is a very pretty dress," he told her, smiling widely.

She flushed and grinned, bowing her head a little. "I'm glad you like it, Cole. It's a sarong… good beach-wear."

"It's very pretty, Mel. It makes your freckles more noticeable. I like it."

"I'm… glad." She smiled and nodded, a little flustered as she always was when he praised her appearance. Nor was it lost on her that Jess had been right about Cole's attachment to her freckles.

"I don't think I've ever seen you wear it before, Mel," he added. "You wore a similar one to the Luau, didn't you? The style is different from what you normally wear."

Mel nodded. "Well, it's new. I got several after I got the tickets."

"Okay, Mel." He smiled again. "It's very nice."

"Uh, yeah… You want to eat outside again?" she asked, pulling the heavy curtain and opening the patio door.

"Yes, Mel." He joined her on the patio. "I like it here, Mel. It's very pretty and _much_ warmer than Chicago."

  
"Yeah, well _few_ places are colder than Chicago in the winter," she pointed out, grinning wryly. "But this is definitely nice. It must be eighty already."

"Eighty-three, Mel. The weather man says that there is a… heat wave and that the temperature will go above ninety."

"Whew. In February?" Mel drew a deep breath and shook her head. "Damn, that's hot. Guess we'd better do the beach early, get back in before it gets too warm…" She trailed off, grinning. "Of course, Cirronians are known for loving warm weather… You'll probably want to stay all day."

"Not if it gets uncomfortable for you, Mel," he assured her quickly. "Besides, I have been reading about something called UV radiation, Mel. It sounds very dangerous…"

Mel chuckled and shook her head, sitting down at the patio table. "Well, sure, in huge quantities…"

"The weatherman also said that something called the 'UV index' is very high. You should not go out in it without being covered, Mel."

She laughed and shook her head. "Cole, with this complexion, I just have to _think_ about going out in the sun to get a nasty burn."

He frowned. "Then we should wait to go to the beach until the sun is down," he announced firmly, shoveling a forkful of French toast into his mouth.

"It's okay, Cole," she assured him. "That's what sunscreen is for."

"Sunscreen?" he repeated, swallowing.

"You put it on your exposed skin and it protects you from the sun."

"Oh." He smiled and nodded. "That's good, Mel. You should wear a lot of sunscreen. I would not want you to get burned."

She grinned at him. "Don't worry. I promise I'll wear lots of sunscreen and spend most of the day under an umbrella."

"Okay, Mel. You should eat now, Mel. And we should bring drinks to the beach with us, Mel, if we are going to stay for very long. I wouldn't want you to become dehydrated."

Mel smiled indulgently at her mother-hen of a Cirronian, nodding. "Sure, Cole. Whatever you say."

***

"Oh, this is _wonderful_, Mel!" Cole announced cheerfully as she spread the beach towel on the sand.

It was, in fact, so hot that most of the rest of the beach was completely empty as tourists sought out the comfort of the air-conditioned indoors. But Hell to a tourist was Heaven to a Cirronian like Cole, Mel supposed. She had always had a higher-than-average heat tolerance herself, so she did not really mind it either. As long as she stayed under the umbrella, spent some time in the ocean, and drank lots of water she would be just fine. 

And, of course, she would need plenty of the one thing that no befreckled Irish redhead in her right mind went to the beach without.

"_Sunscreen_," she announced, fishing the bottle out of her bag and tossing it to Cole.

He caught it easily and examined the writing on the label as Mel planted a beach umbrella firmly in the sand. "SPF 60, Mel? Is this the strongest there is? You really should use the strongest there is…"

"You can't get stronger without a prescription," she assured him, grinning and relieving him of the bottle. "And the prescription kind tends to make me break out. Now this is waterproof," she told him. "But you should _still_ reapply it every few hours or whenever you get out of the water."

"Okay, Mel." Cole nodded faintly, accepting the bottle from her again when she proffered it. 

"Now, you're darker than I am," Mel added, reaching up for the ties of her sarong. "So you aren't as likely to burn…" As she spoke, she started unknotting the fabric of her wrap.

"Mel, what are you doing?" he asked, frowning in obvious concern. Shaking his head, he stepped in front of her and gently caught her hands in his.

Mel stared up at him with wide eyes, frowning uncertainly. "I'm taking my sarong off…"

"But, Mel, there are people here!" he protested. "You have always told me that it is necessary to keep clothes on when there are other people around…"

"Wh… Oh, Cole!" she laughed shaking her head and giving him a comforting smile. "It's _okay_," she assured him. "On the beach, you don't have to wear as many clothes as you do in most public places. Just a swimsuit is enough. I have mine on under the sarong," she explained. "And you remembered to put your trunks on under your shorts, right?"

"Yes, Mel." He smiled in understanding, releasing her hands and stepping back to allow her to finish removing the sarong. "I put them on like you told me to. No briefs." His smile faded slightly. "Things are… in different places. It feels strange, Mel."

Mel flushed and giggled, nodding. "I'll bet it does," she chuckled. "Being used to briefs… Don't worry, Cole. You'll get used to it."

He smiled again, his expression trusting. "Okay, Mel."

She smiled in response to his obvious faith in her. She should have thought, she supposed, about the fact that Cole was used to briefs rather than boxers when selecting his swimwear. A Speedo probably would have been more comfortable for him. The mental image of Cole in a Speedo spurred her to chuckle nervously and she decided that trunks were probably better after all. At least one of them should be decently covered and after Jess' little stunt in switching Mel's swimsuit for another it was definitely not going to be her. Not quite able to look at him, she took a deep breath and untied her sarong. 

Cole's eyes widened as the fabric wrap fluttered to the ground and Mel wondered what he was thinking. She did not have to wait long, thanks to that innate Cirronian honesty and Cole's habit of saying _exactly_ what was on his mind.

"Mel, you wear more than this under your clothes!" he exclaimed, not even trying to hide his open admiration of her lovely body. A question he had always had but had never asked was answered, too. Those pretty freckles _did _cover her entire body. The Tracker approved greatly.

She flushed and bowed her head, shifting uncomfortably under his frank scrutiny. "Yeah, well… Jess decided it would be funny to…" She trailed off, frowning suspiciously up at him. "How would _you_ know what I wear under my clothes?" she demanded.

Cole frowned at the question. "You put your underthings in the hamper when you are done with them, Mel," he pointed out, not bothering to add that, if he had not known anything about her underwear before, he _would_ _have_ after last night.

"Oh!" Mel gave a shaky nod. "Right! _Sure_ I do…"

"Are you okay, Mel?" Cole asked gently, stepping towards her and gently caressing her throat. "It's not too warm for you?" 

"What? Oh, no, Cole… I'm fine." She gave him an uneasy grin.

"Here, Mel. You are uncovered. You should not be in the sun," Cole announced, gently wrapping his hands around her arms and pushing her under the umbrella. Once she was safely in the shade, he smiled at her again. "It really is a very pretty outfit, Mel. Did you say it was Jess' idea?"

Mel rolled her eyes. "Yeah, Jess' idea. Jess' idea of a joke," she chuckled, shaking her head and retrieving the sunscreen. "Don't ask," she added in response to his blank look, squirting some sunscreen into her palm. "You put it on like this, Cole," she told him, demonstrating by rubbing the sunscreen into her arms. "Rub until you can't see it any more."

Cole watched for a moment, then picked up the bottle.

"Pull off your clothes first," Mel suggested. "That way you don't have to worry about getting all the skin you missed later." She closed her eyes against another surge of embarrassment at having just suggested to Cole that he strip. Shaking her head, she amended, "If you want, I mean. If you'd rather wear your clothes instead of just your trunks, that's fine, too…"

"No, Mel. I like not wearing clothes." Cole smiled and began unbuttoning his shirt.

"Yeah… I kind of picked up on that during our first few days together," Mel murmured, grinning and helping herself to more sunscreen. 

Cole dropped his shirt on top of Mel's sarong, smiling at the feel of the hot sun beating down on his bare chest and shoulders. It was like going home, only better because it had Mel. Mel in a very tiny outfit provided by sweet Jess, whom he really was going to have to compliment on her taste in beachwear when they returned to Chicago.

"This is nice, Mel."

She chuckled and nodded, continue to smear herself with sunscreen while admiring the view out of the corner of one eye. Cole quickly dispensed with his pants as well, dropping to the ground and turning his face to the sun, smiling widely and giving a quiet, happy moan.

"Should have known you'd be a sun-worshiper," she remarked, shaking her head.

He smiled quizzically. "How did you know, Mel? We've never discussed Cirronian religions before…"

She frowned faintly. "You're… a sun-worshiper? An actual… sun-worshiper?"

"Yes, Mel." He nodded. "All Cirronians are. How did you know?"

"Uh… I _didn't_. It's a figure of speech here, for a person who loves basking in the sun and getting tanned," she explained, shaking her head. Frowning, she reached over her shoulder, trying to slather sunscreen on her back.

"Can't you reach, Mel?" he asked, watching her struggle with the task.

"No, not really." She shook her head in annoyance.

"I'll do it, Mel," he offered, dropping on to the ground next to her.

"Thanks, Cole." She smiled at him and turned around, handing him the bottle. "It can be hard to reach your own back. I'll get yours next."

"Okay, Mel." Cole smiled and nodded, gently smearing the cream over her back and shoulders. "Like this, Mel?"

"Yeah, Cole." She nodded, closing her eyes and leaning back into his touch. "That's good."

It was, in fact, not just good but absolutely wonderful. Cole's amazing Cirronian hands were once more performing to their utmost. Whether he was Collecting a fugitive life-force, calming Mel, or just touching her like now, he always did so expertly. She would _never_ get tired of the things those hands could make her feel: on her throat, her back, even just on her arm or hand. Or on any other part of her body that the Cirronian cared to touch, she allowed, smiling faintly at the thought.

Cole smiled widely, very much enjoying the sensation of rubbing the cream into Mel's skin. He kept rubbing long after the cream was no longer visible, reveling in such a prolonged opportunity to touch Mel. Judging from the slight smile on her face and the way her muscles relaxed under his hands, she was enjoying herself as well. Putting more sunscreen into his hands, he moved from her shoulders to the small of her back, deciding that they should come to the beach again tomorrow.

"Thanks, Cole," Mel murmured, sighing gently. The man had missed his calling. He was wasted as a Tracker. He should have been a masseur. 

"It's okay, Mel. I don't mind. I like helping you." It was true, too. He adored helping Mel in every way. Being able to touch her at the same time was simply a built-in reward.

She smiled over her shoulder at him. There were times when she wondered why she shied away from the prospect of a relationship with him at all and now, with his strong hands gently massaging cool lotion into her back as he smiled placidly at her, was definitely one of those times. What was there not to love in this kind, gentle creature who always did anything she requested of him without a word of complaint or a moment's hesitation, often even going out of his way to help her in ways she had not asked of him?

"I appreciate it," she told him, grinning.

Cole smiled warmly back, his eyes carrying a hint of that intensity that always made her so nervous. As she stammered that she thought Cole had gotten all the spots she had been unable to reach, she wondered at the fact that she had never been able to put a name to that tender look. But if she did not know what it was, why should it make her nervous?

Shaking her head, she retrieved the bottle from the confused-looking Cirronian's hand. "Turn around and I'll do your back," she directed. "It's such a pain getting your own back that it's really helpful to have someone around to help you out."

Still frowning uncertainly, Cole obediently turned around. His frown faded at the first touch of Mel's hands on his shoulders. Warm skin grew warmer where her cool hands passed, sending little thrills of pleasure racing through his body. A body that was reacting in an all-too-human fashion to Mel's touch. At first when he had come to this planet and taken this body, his reactions to Mel's proximity and touch had confused and sometimes frightened him a little. Now he recognized them for what they were, a physical expression of his affection for his remarkable human friend. Except that 'friend' was no longer an adequate term for what he felt for Mel and he was beyond denying that. 

He had known that for months now, with frightening certainty. The sensations of his body were merely a reflection of the feelings of his heart. He enjoyed being touched by Mel, enjoyed touching her, but it went well beyond the physical sensations evoked by the feel of flesh to flesh. Flesh to flesh, heart to heart, soul to soul, Cole enjoyed being with Mel in all of these ways, even _needed_ it at times. It was both exhilarating _and_ terrifying to a man who had spent ten years believing that he would never love or even _feel_ again. 

The cynical part of him found it amusing that he could be grateful to someone for giving him the capacity to be afraid, but he _was_ grateful to her for that right along with everything else she had done for him. Smiling wryly, he shook his head.

"What you thinking about?" Mel asked, her hands stilling when he shook his head.

"You," came the honest and automatic answer. He immediately regretted it when Mel removed her hands from his back with a shaky laugh. He had made her nervous again. He turned around to face her, smiling reassuringly. "Thank you for helping me put sunscreen on my back, Mel," he told her, changing the subject. "What do we do now?"

Mel grinned and shrugged. "Uh… There are lots of things you can do at the beach… sunbathing, swimming…" 

Realizing that she no longer had his attention, she trailed off and followed the direction of his gaze. He was watching a young girl building a sandcastle, his expression wistful. She had seen that look on his face a few times in the past and it always made her heart want to break in sympathy for what he had lost. Closing his eyes, Cole shook his head and looked away.

"You okay?" she asked gently, resting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

He nodded faintly. "I'm sorry, Mel. I was just thinking. I didn't mean to worry you."

Not sure what to say, Mel just smiled weakly and nodded.

"What is she doing, Mel?" Cole asked, returning his attention to the little girl.

"She's making a sandcastle. Uh… when sand is wet, you can press it together and it holds its shape. So you can build things." She smiled faintly. "I used to build sandcastles when I was little."

Cole smiled. "What happens when the sand dries, Mel?"

"Well, it'll start to fall apart. But the tide will wash that one away before that can happen; it's too close to the ocean."

Cole's smile faded and he watched the girl with concern. "But she's working so hard on it, Mel!" he protested sadly. "Doesn't she know?" 

"Yeah, Cole. She probably knows." Mel sighed gently. He could be so gentle and childlike at times, and always so concerned about others, that he tended to get hurt. She hated to see him hurting, even over something so minor, so she told him, "It's only a sandcastle, Cole."

"Not to her, Mel. She's working so hard on it." He sighed and shook his head. "Time and the tide take all precious things eventually," he whispered.

Mel felt her eyes fill with tears at those words. They really did say it all about his life. Everything that he had ever held dear had been taken away from him.

"Come here," she whispered, pulling him into a gentle hug. 

Cole accepted the comfort she offered gratefully, but could not help but be concerned by how sad she seemed. She had always been a compassionate woman, suffering right along with those around her. It was one of the things he loved in her.

"It's okay, Mel," he whispered, holding her close and watching as the tide started to wash away the castle. "Don't be sad." The little girl wandered off, settling down again farther down the beach to start another castle. "What time takes away from us is never _really_ lost," he assured her. "Time is like a circle, Mel, so when we lose something it eventually comes back."

She looked up at him with wide eyes. "People, too?" she whispered.

"No, Mel." He shook his head and gave a regretful shrug. "Not people; not in this life." He pointed to the girl. "If Nallia's soul passed into a new life-force as soon as she died, she would be that age. So even if I found her again, it could not be the same between us."

"You must miss her so much, Cole…"

"Always," he told Mel. "But I'm not lonely for her. I don't have to be because she's not gone. She's here." He touched his chest, over his heart. "Nothing you have ever held here can ever really be lost," he explained. "Nallia, your grandmother, everyone…"

"That is a beautiful sentiment," Mel murmured, touching her hand gently to his chest and smiling.

"Would you like to know the truly beautiful thing about it, Mel?" he asked, smiling down at her.

"It gets better?"

"It does." Cole nodded and gently touched his hand to her heart. "You can never hold too many things here. There more things you hold here, Mel, the more room there is. There is _always_ more room."

Mel let out a shaky breath, nodding. "Yeah, Cole. You're right. There always _is_ more room, isn't there?" She looked around uneasily, not quite able to meet his eye.

Cole smiled faintly. Mel was nervous; he had managed to do it again. "Teach me to swim, Mel," he requested, wanting to distract her from that.

"Okay." Mel grinned and nodded, rising. 

She was grateful to him for sensing her anxiety and trying to defuse it. The gesture alone dispelled much of her uneasiness. As intense as he could be at times, he was a gentle, attentive man and she loved him for it.

"Are there any aquatic predators out there, Mel?" he asked hesitantly.

She smiled faintly and shook her head. "No, Cole. Deeper water has a few, but there's nothing dangerous this close to the beach," she assured him, glad that he had never seen 'Jaws'.

He smiled and nodded. "Okay, Mel. That's good. I wouldn't want you anywhere dangerous."

"Well, that's very sweet of you, Cole," Mel told him, smiling. 

"I want to keep you safe, Mel. I like keeping you safe," he added, gently caressing her throat. "Your safety is very important to me," he whispered. "So is your happiness."

She grinned up at him. "Well, I appreciate your concern for both, Cole. Thanks."

The tempo of his caresses changed and his expression grew tender and openly admiring. "It's okay, Mel. I like making you happy."

Mel smiled uneasily up at him, aware that the air was suddenly charged with sexual tension. Maybe Jess had been right about the temperature going up ten degrees when they were together. She had been so busy trying to ignore her own feelings for Cole that it had honestly never occurred to her that he might feel the same. She had only ever seen him as ambivalent if genuinely fond of her. Was there more to his feelings than that, though? And what did she do if there was?

"Come on, Cole. Lesson-time."

Cole smiled and nodded, obediently following Mel down to the ocean.


	4. Chapter 4

****

Chapter 4

Standing up to his chest in water, Cole told Mel with obvious approval, "This is _much_ warmer than the water in Lake Michigan, Mel."

"Mmm hmm," she agreed, grinning. "Thought you'd like that."

"I like it _very_ much, Mel," he assured her. "The whole vacation so far has been very fun. Thank you for inviting me."

"Well, as hard as you work, you deserve some down-time and the chance to have a little fun. Fun is vital to good mental health." On impulse, she splashed his face.

Cole sputtered for a moment, staring at her with wide eyes. "_Mel?_ What are you doing?" he whispered, his voice shaking.

Mel frowned at that reaction. "Uh, I was… you know… splashing you with water." She shrugged, regarding him in confusion.

"Why?" he asked quietly, shyly.

"Just for fun." She took a step towards him, startled by that hesitant look on his face. "Cole, is something wrong? I didn't mean to upset you. It's just a fun thing that humans do sometimes," she explained. "It's not--"

"A Nodulian mating ritual," he interrupted quietly. 

Mel stared at him with wide eyes. "A Nodulian mating ritual?" she repeated, coloring. No wonder he had been shocked. He may not have actually _been_ Nodulian, but she could still see where it would come as a surprise to him.

"Well, a _pre_-mating ritual," he amended, shrugging. "A female splashes water on a male she finds acceptable. If he splashes back, it indicates that he is interested in mating with her. They're a playful species. Sometimes water-fights will last hours before the mating occurs."

Mel absorbed all of this with a slowly growing grin. "My God… I'm sorry, Cole. I was _not_ trying to come on to you," she explained. "Just having a little fun…" Her eyes widened at the look on his face. Was that actual disappointment? One way to find out, she supposed. "Of course, if we were Nodulians, it would be your move," she pointed out with a faint smile. It was not exactly subtle, but since subtly was frequently lost on Cole anyway…

"You should be more careful what you wish for, Mel," Cole told her tenderly. Smiling widely, he sent an enormous spray of water her way, completely drenching her.

"Cole!" she protested, laughing and shaking water out of her face. 

"Yes, Mel?" he asked, barely managing to contain his grin.

"I'm soaked!"

"Of course you are, Mel," he told her innocently. "You're standing in an ocean."

"Oh, that is it!" 

Shaking her head, Mel splashed him again, harder this time. As he tried to recover from that, she splashed him again, laughing. With a bellow of laughter, Cole gave up trying to defend himself and focused on getting Mel as wet as he could. It felt good to let go for a change, to just have fun for a little while without worrying about fugitives or anything else. He was beginning to see what the Nodulians saw in this game. Until now, he had always considered it a rather aggressive form of play. Taking a moment to wipe water from his eyes, he lost sight of Mel. Frowning in concern, he began looking around.

"Mel?" he called, worried.

"Back here, Cole," Mel announced, splashing him as he turned.

"You fight like a Vardian," he announced with a grin, closing the distance between them and catching her hands firmly in his own.

"Oh, yes. Because the use of strategy in a fight is just _so_ unfair…" She chuckled, shaking her head and trying to free her hands.

"_Very_ unfair," Cole agreed, nodding and refusing to release his gentle grip on her. "How did you get behind me like that?" he asked.

"Maybe I used Hyperspeed," she teased.

"Somehow I doubt it." Cole shook his head and pulled her closer. 

She shrugged, uncomfortable to find herself suddenly pulled against a very… excited Cirronian. "You done with my hands? Can I have them back now?" she asked quietly.

Cole looked down in surprise. He had somehow managed to forget that he was still holding onto her hands. "Sorry, Mel," he said, dropping her hands. "How _did_ you get behind me?" he repeated curiously.

She took a half-step back, just far enough so that they were no longer touching. "I went under the water and swam."

"_Under_ the water?" he repeated with wide eyes. "Mel, that's very dangerous!"

She started to laugh, then realized that he was perfectly serious. "Cole, it's okay. It's safe, really."

"Humans can not breathe underwater!" he protested.

"I held my breath."

"You should not go under the water again," he said quietly, brushing wet hair out of her face. 

She smiled at his obvious concern over her well-being. "Cole, I promise you that I am _not_ going to drown while we're here. You have my word," she chuckled softly.

His smile returned and he nodded. "Okay, Mel. What do we do now?"

"Mmm, I could always bury you in the sand," Mel chuckled, shaking her head. She stopped at the amused look on his face. "Let me guess," she said sarcastically. "Another Nodulian mating ritual?"

"Orsusian, actually," he told her matter-of-factly.

Mel dissolved into giggles, leaning against Cole's chest as she recovered from that pronouncement. Cole wrapped his arms around her, securing her body against his again and watching her with a faint smile as she laughed herself out.

When she had recovered enough to speak, she managed, "Cole?"

"Yes, Mel?"

"Is there anything happening on this beach that _doesn't_ mimic a mating ritual for some species?" 

The Cirronian looked around thoughtfully, seriously considering her question. Half-naked humans, mostly couples… some walking hand in hand, some sitting or laying together, some splashing around like Nodulians or engaging in other forms of play, some openly engaging in _human_ pre-mating behaviors. Finally, he shook his head.

"Not really, Mel," he told her gravely, sending her into fresh gales of laughter. He smiled and cradled her against his chest until her laughter played out. "Well, maybe the sandcastles," he admitted, shrugging. 

For some reason, Mel seemed to find this amusing as well. She was bright red by now, either from laughter or embarrassment, and still sporadically lapsing into fresh giggles and doubling over. He decided that she should probably not be in the water until she was capable of keeping herself upright, so he scooped her up into his arms and started carrying her back to shore.

"_Cole!_ What are you doing?" she demanded once she had recovered from her shock.

"Taking you back to the beach," he replied simply as he walked. "You should not be in the water while you are hysterical. You could fall and hurt yourself or accidentally inhale water…"

"Cole, the water is ankle-deep right now. I think you can safely put me down."

"Okay, Mel," he said, placing her gently on the ground and immediately missing the way it felt to hold her. 

Noticing that many of the humans on the beach were freely touching each other, he looped an arm around her waist as they walked back to their towel. She looked up at him in obvious consternation, but did not comment, which he supposed translated into permission to keep his arm around her. He smiled, liking the way her bare skin felt under his hand. Jess _definitely_ had superior taste in beachwear, he decided, wondering why the outfit had upset Mel so much. It made her look even more lovely than usual, if in a slightly different way. It felt even better than usual to look at her dressed like that.

"You look very beautiful today, Mel," he told her gently as she sat down and sidled into the protective shade of the umbrella. 

Mel flushed and stared at her hands. She felt completely naked under his appreciative scrutiny, told herself firmly that he was only comment on aesthetics, and took a few deep breaths.

"You're even lovelier than you were at the art museum," he continued. "But I think you've been in the sun too long. Your face is very red." He opened the small cooler they had brought and handed her a bottle of water. "Here, Mel. You should drink this. Are you feeling okay?" he asked, looking worried.

"Fine, Cole. I'm fine. Just a little overheated." Mel winced. "Because it's so warm and sunny!" she hastened to add. 

Cole's next move absolutely stunned her.

Casually, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he reached into the cooler, grabbed an ice cube, leaned towards Mel, and brushed it across her lips. As she stared at him with huge round eyes and an opened mouth, he moved on to her throat, lightly brushing the ice cube over the sensitive skin there. Mel shivered and closed her eyes, her head falling back. Her mind was screaming at her to stop Cole **_now_**, while her body was urging her to just jump the man. The conflict left her completely immobilized and vulnerable to Cole's continued attentions. And he was being his usual, attentive self, too…

She let out a low moan and just turned her brain off.

The spell was broken by Cole's gentle voice. "Is that better, Mel?" he asked hopefully.

"Uh…" She gave an anxious grin and a shaky nod even though she felt more overheated now than she had before. _Breathe, Mel._ "Yeah, Cole… Uh, thanks." She gave another nervous nod.

"Are you sure?" he asked, frowning. "You still aren't acting like you normally do. And I could tell you enjoyed it. I can do it more if you'd like," he offered hopefully. 

Watching Mel's reaction to his care had left him feeling things that he had not felt before this vacation since holding her in his arms when she taught him to dance, and he was feeling them even more strongly than he had been in the water. That particular method of cooling Mel off had been Jess' helpful suggestion, he recalled, making a mental note to thank the girl for the good advice. 

"Would you like me to do it again, Mel?" he offered again when she did not immediately answer. "I don't mind."

It was the sight of Cole reaching for another ice cube that finally spurred Mel to speak.

"Oh, really, Cole… that's… that's okay. It's a really, really, really…" _Focus, Mel_. "Really sweet thought on your part, but it isn't necessary…" She forced a reassuring smile on to her face.

Cole frowned at her behavior, dropping the ice back into the cooler. "Are you okay, Mel? Maybe we should go back to the hotel?"

Mel knew that if he got her near a bed in her current state of mind that her innocent Cirronian was likely to end their vacation a lot less innocent than he had started it. Of course, no one could remain innocent forever, the little devil on her shoulder whispered, only to be shot down by her still, amazingly, intact conscience. This was _Cole_, who not too long ago had asked her what the 'purpose' of a kiss was. He had certainly not set out to be anything other than helpful. Her reaction, and his own she realized with a hasty downward glance, did not matter. This was _Cole_.

"I'm fine," she assured him hastily. "Maybe we should just relax here for a little longer."

"Okay, Mel," he agreed readily. "Would you like me to help you cool down some more?" he asked, picking up another ice-cube.

"**No!**" The negation came out as a half-shout and left Cole looking like a kicked puppy. _Beautiful, Mel!_ He was so seldom anything other than placid and accepting that his hurt look left her feeling incredibly guilty. Sighing, she reached out and squeezed his shoulder, her expression apologetic. "Cole, I'm sorry, but…" She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I don't think that what you were doing was… having quite the effect you were going for. Now, I appreciate the effort, but… it's just not appropriate. I'm sorry."

"Not appropriate?" he repeated, frowning. 

"Not really. Not between… friends," Mel explained gently. "It's okay, Cole. It really was a sweet thought."

He nodded, slowly, his expression still troubled. "If it is not appropriate for friends, then who is it appropriate for?" he asked, trying to divine why Jess would advise him to do something inappropriate enough to upset Mel so much. She was so sweet and kind that it must have been a mistake of some sort.

"Um… lovers," she mumbled.

Cole blinked. "Does Jess think we are lovers, Mel?"

"_Jess_?" Mel shook her head, sighing deeply. "Of course… Only Jess." She laughed and shook her head, patting his shoulder. "Ah, Cole… _Only_ Jess. Oh, God!" she laughed. "Cole…"

"I don't understand, Mel," Cole told her uncertainly. Her abrupt shift in mood was just confusing and he was still in the dark about Jess' reason for suggesting he do something inappropriate.

She took a deep breath before explaining. "It's like her switching my swimsuit for… these _tiny_ scraps of fabric." She watched his face for comprehension and saw none. Sighing, she tried again. "Jess thinks we'd make a cute couple. So she is trying to… orchestrate a… um, a… _connection_." She smiled apologetically. "Just Jess being Jess."

"Jess is a sweet girl, Mel. She would not do something that she did not think was in our best interest."

"Yeah, well… Jess is… _Jess_! And she doesn't have all the facts," Mel added softly.

He frowned faintly. "You do not want a… connection because I'm not human?"

"No!" Mel shook her head vehemently. "Damn it, Cole, no. That is _not_ it. It's not you." Not sure why, she kept talking. "It's not even me, really. It's just… life. You and I are… complicated."

"I am _not_ complicated, Mel," Cole told her firmly.

The phrase that sprung immediately to mind was 'wanna bet?', but Mel settled for, "The _situation_ is complicated. You _have_ to give me that…"

"It is unique," Cole granted quietly, deciding that the only thing particularly complicated in the _entire _situation was trying to understand where Mel stood and what she wanted. "I'm sorry I upset you, Mel. I won't do it again," he said quietly.

"Hey, it's not your fault." Mel grinned at him. "Just, uh… do us both a favor and forget _anything_ else that Jess may have suggested you do on this trip."

"No strawberries?" he asked, disappointed.

She smiled and shook her head. "You can _eat_ all the strawberries you want, Cole," she told him softly. "But beyond eating them _yourself_… No."

"Mel?" he asked hesitantly, his expression sheepish. "What if I've already done some of the things Jess suggested I do?"

She closed her eyes. "Depends on what Jess suggested. What else have you done that she suggested?"

"Just rubbing you so far."

"Rubbing…" Mel shook her head, smiling. "Helping me with my sunscreen was Jess' idea?"

"No, Mel. Just that I should touch you a lot and… rub you the right way. Was I rubbing you the right way?"

"Never mind, Cole." She laughed and shook her head. "Cole… I'm not sure I really want to know, but I am kind of curious… so, what else did Jess suggest other than gratuitous physical contact, the ice cubes, and the strawberries?"

He considered for a moment. Much of Jess' advice had been completely lost on him, courtesy of the United States' and Great Britain's divergent vocabulary. He tried to repeat her words as closely as possible, wondering if Mel could make sense of them. 

"She suggested that after I have 'softened you up', I do something called… 'shagging' you until you--" He stopped when Mel clapped a hand firmly over his mouth.

"I was right. I _don't_ want to know." She shook her head. "Cole, I'm sure her suggestions were made with the best intentions, but… don't listen to _any_ of them. Like I told you, she's a nice kid but sometimes she tries too hard. It's a vacation, not The Love Connection. Just relax a little and have a nice time," she suggested.

"I've been having a nice time so far."

She chuckled and shook her head. "I'll bet you have, Cole. Look, why don't you soak up some sun. My head hurts, I'm going to lie down and close my eyes for a little bit."

"Under the umbrella, Mel," he directed. "Where you can not get burned by the UV radiation." 

She smiled and nodded. "Okay, Cole. You don't mind, do you?"

"No, Mel. I don't mind you resting for a little while. I'm sure you are probably still not feeling completely recovered from how much you had to drink last night. I can watch people and… soak up some sun." He smiled widely. "It feels very nice on my bare skin, Mel."

"I'm glad you like it." She smiled and reclined on the sand, still pleasantly warm even in the shade.

"Maybe I'll build a sandcastle…"

"You do that, Cole." She grinned up at him, nodding. "Just remember to have fun. That's what vacations are really all about."

"Yes, Mel." He smiled and nodded, brushing his fingertips across her forehead and releasing a little soothing energy. "Now rest until your head feels better."

"Yeah." She brushed her fingers against his and closed her eyes. "Sorry I freaked earlier."

"It's okay, Mel. I understand." 

Shrugging to himself, the Cirronian rose and walked down to the shore, sitting down in the wet sand and considering how to build his sandcastle. He picked up a handful of sand and let it fall through his fingers, considering the texture for a moment. Starting by gathering together a large quantity of wet sand, his fingers brushed against something smooth and cool. Frowning, he abandoned the intended project in favor of discovering what foreign object his hand had encountered. 

Digging it out of the sand and washing it in the surf, he found himself holding a perfectly formed, pale blue seashell. He smiled widely at his find, the color of Mel's eyes. It was beautiful, like her. Nodding to himself, he set it aside to show to her later, after she had rested, and resumed his interrupted construction, enjoying the way the sun felt on his back as he worked.

***

By the time Mel woke up, Cole had managed to build a three-foot tall structure that, to her, bore a striking resemblance to the Taj Mahal. 

"Only Cole," she muttered, sitting up and stretching. Looking around, she saw that the beach was empty, abandoned by tourists who were, no doubt, more interested in air-conditioning and Mai Tais than sunbathing in hundred degree weather. "Looking good!" she called cheerfully, walking to join him. "Cole, how long did this… _Oh, my God!_" she gasped, staring at what had to be the worst sunburn she had ever seen.

"Do you like it, Mel?" he asked, smiling up at her over his shoulder.

"Uh, it's gorgeous. Are you in pain?"

"No." He shook his head, frowning. "What's wrong, Mel?"

"You! That sunburn!" She reached out and gingerly rested her palm against his back, earning a pained hiss.

"_That_ hurt," he told her, frowning. Before his back had itched a little, but he had not thought anything of that.

"I don't doubt it!" Mel closed her eyes and shook her head. "Your sandcastle is beautiful, but you need to stop building it _right now_ so I can get you to the emergency room."

Cole rose, wincing as he did so. "_No_ human doctors," he said firmly, shifting uncomfortably. Now that his mind was not otherwise occupied, the sunburn was almost intolerable. "I just need a few hours to heal myself."

Her nod was shaky. "Okay. Let's get you back to the hotel. I've got some aloe that'll help with the pain and maybe the healing."

Cole nodded, bending to retrieve his seashell before following her back to the towel. He picked up his shirt and shrugged it on, hissing in pain. 

"Take it off," Mel directed, sighing and gently helping him out of it. "God, how long were you in the sun?" She looked at her watch and shook her head. "Damn. We'll be lucky if you don't end up with sun poisoning…"

As they walked back to the hotel, Mel carrying Cole's clothes rather than forcing him to wear them, he said, "Look what I found, Mel."

"What is it?" Mel looked down at the blue shell in his hand, smiling. "That's really pretty, Cole."

"It's beautiful. It's the color of your eyes."

"Oh! You're right…" She shook her head. "I didn't even notice. Guess I'm a little preoccupied, what with your third-degree burn…"

"I'll be fine, Mel," he promised, handing her the shell. "You should keep it. You like pretty things."

"Yeah, yeah I do." Mel smiled up at him, carefully cradling the shell in one cupped hand. "And it'll be something to remember you by when you… you know."

  
"Yes." He nodded slowly. "I know, Mel," he whispered, sighing.

Walking into the hotel lobby with her, the sun burnt Cirronian earned numerous stares and one offer to call an ambulance. Mel ignored the stares, politely declined the offer, and marched Cole straight back to their room. 

"Sit," Mel directed, pointing to the bed and dropping Cole's clothes and their beach bag on the floor before carefully placing the seashell on the dresser and walking into the bathroom.

Cole put down the cooler and umbrella and did as directed, smiling at how carefully Mel had handled the pretty shell. Maybe while they were there he could find a matching one to keep, reminding him of her. As if he would ever need any reminder of such a creature. He looked up as Mel emerged from the bathroom carrying a dripping towel and a bottle. She tossed the bottle on the bed, then climbed behind Cole.

"Okay, this is going to be a little cold, but it should help the pain a little," she told him, draping the tower over his shoulders.

He hissed at the sharp contrast between his burning skin and the cold towel but made no move to fight her.

"Yeah, sorry… I know you hate the cold." Mel sighed and climbed off the bed again, pulling a chair in front of him and grabbing the bottle. 

"It's okay, Mel. It's helping." He smiled reassuringly. 

"I'm glad," she murmured, regarding him thoughtfully. His face, chest, and the front of his legs were not much more tanned than usual, but everything else was lobster-red. "You _sure_ I shouldn't bring you to a doctor?" she asked, opening the bottle.

"I'm sure, Mel. A doctor would try to make my temperature too low to allow me to heal properly."

"Okay. If you're sure." She nodded reluctantly. "Lie down on your stomach."

Cole nodded and gingerly did as directed. "Has this ever happened to you, Mel?"

"This bad, only once," she told him. "I was about sixteen and convinced that I could replace my freckles with a tan." Shaking her head, she told him, "So I covered myself in baby oil and went to lie in the sun. Where I fell asleep."

"UV radiation is very dangerous, Mel," Cole announced as she peeled the towel away from his shoulders and moved it to his legs. "Your people should consider an atmospheric shield."

"Now there's a thought. I think they once made a movie about that, but we really just don't have the technology. Unless you want to share," she added, squirting aloe onto his back.

He hissed at the cool gel, but relaxed as Mel began smoothing it on with gentle hands that left burnt skin feeling cool. The pain was already beginning to recede. "I could give you the design specifications, but unless all your countries cooperated, it would be virtually impossible to construct. That feels good, Mel."

"I'm glad. And I'm _so_ sorry I fell asleep out there. I really didn't mean to. I feel awful…"

"It's not your fault, Mel. You told me that I needed to put on more sunscreen regularly. I just lost track of the time…" He craned his neck. "I'm glad you were under the umbrella, Mel, or you _would_ have needed a human doctor, I think."

Something told her that if it had been _her_ hide roasting under the tropical sun that Cole would have noticed a _lot_ faster, but she just smiled and nodded.

"Sun poisoning can be nasty, Cole," she noted. "How do you feel?"

"I hurt."

She chuckled and shook her head. "Other than that? Headache? Stomachache? You're not cold, are you? Or--"

"No, Mel," he assured her. "No symptoms of anything but this burn."

"Good. That's great. But I want you to tell me if you start to feel ill. How long do you think it'll take to heal this?"

"Four or five hours if I remain conscious, Mel."

"If you remain conscious?" she repeated, smoothing on more aloe. 

"It will take less if I can go into a meditation cycle."

"Go for it."

"Okay, Mel." He nodded faintly and smiled up at her. "Thank you for helping me. Your hands feel nice."

"Get some rest," she directed gently. "Is this helping with the pain at all?"

"Yes, Mel. It feels much better. Your hands feel good on my skin."

Mel shook her head. "Just don't tell Jess I gave you a rubdown," she muttered.

"Is this what she meant about us rubbing each other, Mel? This feels nice. I can do it to you if you'd like."

"Maybe another time…" Mel shook her head, grinning. Part of her actually wanted to take him up on that offer. It could not hurt, she rationalized, if he were, say, rubbing her back after a long day of work. A nice deep-muscle massage from Cole with his warm, strong, gentle hands… _Stop it, Mel_. "This is not exactly an everyday kind of thing between your average pair of friends," she said, as much to convince herself as him.

"Our friendship is unique," he pointed out reasonably. "We do many things for each other that normal friends do not."

"Oh, yeah," she murmured, wondering how Cole would react if he knew _exactly_ what he did for her at times. She was going to kill Jess, if only for catching on to that before she herself had.

He sat up, regarding her gravely. "If you ever need me to rub you, Mel, you only have to ask. I like touching you," he told her, reaching out and caressing her throat.

Mel swallowed hard, acutely aware that Cole was more than half-naked and that she had on even less than he did. Just as well that he was too sunburned to allow things to get out of hand.

"Get some rest," she told him gently. "You'll feel better."

Cole dropped his hand, recognizing her words for the rebuff they were. "Okay, Mel," he murmured, laying down again and closing his eyes as she began rubbing the aloe into his legs. Her hands felt marvelous as they skirted up his calves and thighs, far too marvelous to allow the Cirronian to calm his mind sufficiently to meditate. With a gentle sigh, he nestled into his pillow and just enjoyed her attention. 


	5. Chapter 5

****

Chapter 5

"Amazing. Absolutely amazing," Mel murmured, running her hands over Cole's back. "Cole, this is…"

"Amazing?" he ventured, smiling over his shoulder at her. "You _know_ I can heal myself, Mel. Why should this time be different?"

"I…" Mel shrugged and shook her head. As she had sat on the edge of his bed looking on, Cole's burn had slowly faded into nonexistence. Amazing did not _begin_ to describe it. "Because last time I didn't watch it happen, I guess."

He smiled and allowed her to continue running seeking hands over his back. If she was looking for unhealed tissue, she would not find any, but he hoped that it would take her some time to realize it.

"I don't know. I guess I just figured that a burn would be worse than a cut…"

"Easier, actually. Normally, with a small burn, I simply accelerate cellular replication in that area. With a cut I also have to manipulate the _way_ it divides and where the new tissue goes. The hard part with this burn was how large it was. It was not complicated even it was very tiring to heal completely."

"If it was tiring, then maybe you should lie back down?" she suggested.

Cole obediently did as directed as Mel turned her attention from his back to his legs. It was definitely the most she had ever touched him at one time and he was not about to do anything that might prompt her to stop. Her touch really _was_ like a drug to him: exhilarating and soothing at once. And highly addictive. 

"Can you do this to other people?" she asked quietly, resting her hand against the small of his back. His skin was warm as always, but not giving off nearly as much heat as the burn had. 

"It takes more effort," he answered simply.

That was a yes. She shook her head, once again amazed by the things he was capable of. What was more incredible to her was that he did not seem to think there was anything extraordinary about any of it. He accepted it as a matter of course, spoke of his superhuman abilities without even a trace of pride. They were there, he used them, and that was that. As if it were the simplest and most natural thing in the world to manipulate your own metabolism to make a third-degree sunburn vanish in hours without so much as a trace of peeling skin.

"You ever going to stop surprising me, Cole?" she asked softly, more to herself than him.

"I hope not, Mel." 

She raised an eyebrow at that answer. It was the last one he had expected. "Really?" she asked, resting her hand on his shoulder. "Why?"

  
"I like the way your eyes look when you are surprised." 

"Oh," she whispered.

"Your hand is shaking," he whispered in a surprised voice, covering her hand with his own and sitting up. He regarded her with a concerned frown. "Are you upset?"

"No. Not even a little," she assured him softly, shaking her head and chewing on her lower lip. She dropped her eyes, unable to look into eyes that might perhaps see too deeply into her own.

"Does it surprise you?" he asked, gently resting his hand against her heart but making no attempt to force her head up. "That I find you attractive? That I like it when you're happy? That I like being the one to _make_ you happy?" he asked gently. He argued with himself for a long moment before adding quietly, "That I desire your touch?"

Mel's head shot up and she stared at him with wide eyes for a long moment. "Yes! And no, no, and… yes," she muttered, shaking her head and rising. "Can a human even _be_ beautiful to a Cirronian?" she demanded, pacing. "Can they have any _hope_ together?"

"Yes. And I don't know." Cole shrugged. "All I know is that for ten years, there has been a void where my heart was." As Mel stared at him, he quietly added, "And now there is not. You are lovely, Mel. Your eyes shine and your smile makes my heart glad." He rose and gently caught her arms, forestalling her pacing. "You push me away," he whispered, shaking his head in confusion. "Always, you push me away. Whenever we get close. Why?"

She sighed deeply and shook her head. "Fear? The knowledge that there's a hundred light years between us and a happily-ever-after? The desire _not_ to lose one more person I care about?" Shaking her head again, she pulled from his grasp and walked onto the patio. Frustrated tears in her eyes, she watched the sun begin its trek below the horizon.

"The universe is a harsh place full of hard truths," a voice whispered at her ear.

Startled, she spun to find her mouth inches from his. She stared up at him with wide eyes, aware that he was still dressed only in his trunks and that all she had on was a robe over her swimsuit. Any other man would have taken advantage of this position to make his point physically and she _knew_ it. Cole just watched her with sad eyes.

"But the gods are not without compassion," he added tenderly, brushing away her tears before falling back a step. "Never lose your hope, Mel. And never fear the unknowable. _Think_ here," he whispered, touching his hand to her heart. "_Feel_ here," he added, moving it to her forehead. "And let the rest take care of itself."

"You're not asking much," Mel told him softly. "But I'm still not sure I can give it to you."

"I don't ask it for myself, Mel," he told her simply. "Watch the sunset. It's beautiful. You like beautiful things." He nodded towards the horizon, then returned to the hotel room, leaving Mel staring after him.

Think with your heart and feel with your head? She shook her head, not sure what to make of his words or behavior, less sure about her own turbulent feelings. She turned towards the setting sun, taking in a thousand shades of red. Shaking her head, she entered the hotel room. Cole had pulled his pants on and was in the process of buttoning his shirt.

  
"What do you want?" she whispered from the door. "What do you expect?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "But I'm quite certain of it."

"Stop talking in circles!" she snapped, pulling on a pair of jeans before discarding her robe. Shaking her head in disgust, she began searching drawers for a shirt. "Think with your heart, feel with your head? I don't know, but I'm certain?" Her eyes fell on the shell Cole had given her earlier and she picked it up, turning it over in her hands, looking at it instead of him. "Does that even make sense to _you_? Are our minds really that different?"

"That you don't understand a thing doesn't make it less true, Mel. You know that. You must by now. I can know that I feel a certain way without understanding how or why or what to do about it. I have for months now."

Mel exhaled deeply, returning the shell to its place on the dresser. "What do you want?" she repeated.

He closed the distance between them, once again standing far too close to her.

"You."

Mel felt herself swaying on her feet, felt Cole half-carrying her to her bed. Opened her eyes and looked up into his.

"You," he repeated more gently, shaking his head. Sensing her continued anxiety and confusion, he sat down next to her and tried to explain, "I don't want the world from you. I ask more. Your addictive touch, the sound of your _laugh_, to touch you and be touched by you, and to hold you in my arms and never let go. To be near you always. _That_ is what I want, Mel."

"Always is a very long time, Cole," she whispered, cradling his face in her hands. "How do you know you won't get hurt? How do you know it'll work? How do you know that I won't leave tomorrow?"

"I don't."

"Cole," she sighed, leaning forward and resting her forehead again. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Anything you want, Mel," he answered gently. 

She pulled away, frowning at him. It took her a moment to realize that he meant it. He was placing the ball squarely in her court and patiently waiting for her decision. And he _would_ abide by it, like it or not, she knew without knowing _how_ she knew. It took her a moment to realize that the man calmly watching her was not calm at all. Behind those tender eyes, there was a lot of anxiety and fear. Almost as much as she herself was feeling.

"If I ask you to wait?" she asked in a shaky voice. "How long would you wait, Cole?"

He shook his head in confusion at the question. "Until you told me that I was done waiting …"

"Just like that? Just go on with the way things have been? You'd do that at this point? Indefinitely?"

"What else would I do?" he asked, frowning uncertainly. His frown deepened slightly. "Are you going to send me away, Mel?"

She frowned at the pointed question. "Would you leave if I did?" she countered.

  
"What other choice do I have?" he whispered, tears in his eyes. "If you find me unacceptable, what else can I do?"

"It doesn't matter. I'm not _going_ to," she told him firmly, wiping away his tears.

He looked up hopefully. "Thank you," he whispered. "Even though I am not acceptable to you, your presence gives me strength."

"I never called you unacceptable, Cole," Mel sighed, shaking her head. "What is with you?"

"I don't understand, Mel." He shook his head, his expression confused.

"You're not being _Cole_." Frustrated by his blank look, she just started talking, not bothering to think about or censor her words. "Cole is a guy who never quits until he has exactly what he wants exactly the way he wants it. Cole takes control. He doesn't wait passively for someone else to tell him how things are supposed to be. He isn't… _subservient_. _You_ are being more subservient as I've ever seen you." She shook her head in annoyance. "Why are you acting like this?" 

"Subservient, Mel? Passive?" Extreme confusion was replaced by mild distaste in his expression. "You expect me to _force_ affection on you uninvited? Against your will? Is that what kind of planet this is? What man has the right to make up a woman's mind for her? Such a decision can _only_ be hers."

"Maybe on Cirron it's all in the woman's court," Mel began, shaking her head.

"Love can _not_ be forced, Mel. Not on _any_ planet. On Cirron, the things I have told you today would not be acceptable for a man to say to a woman. To speak openly of love… of desire?" He shook his head. "Before marriage it can only be shown, subtly. Never spoken. It is unforgivable of me, Mel, but I grow so impatient to _know_…"

"Is that what you've been doing for the past few months?" she whispered, staring at him with wide eyes. "Trying to get my attention?"

"Yes, Mel." He nodded. "To show my affection and indicate that I would welcome yours, yes."

  
"Freaking cultural differences," she muttered, shaking her head in disgust. "You've been trying to get my attention for _three months_?"

"Yes."

Mel closed her eyes and shook her head. "You've had it for four," she informed him quietly.

"I don't understand, Mel," he told her softly, confused. "If you have _felt_ affection, why have you not shown it?"

Frustrated with herself, she shook her head. "Because you are _Cole_. Cole, the Tracker who doesn't need _anyone_. Cole the _widower_. Cole the alien who couldn't _possibly_ find a member of the human race attractive. _Decisive_ Cole, who wouldn't hesitate to tell me if he wanted a more than platonic relationship. Cole who held me in his arms and danced with me for three hours and then said goodnight at my bedroom door. Innocent, unworldly Cole, who didn't understand or recognize physical arousal when he was in my bathtub _experiencing_ it. Or _dancing_ with me, experiencing it…" She chuckled and shook her head. "I could go on, but I think you get the point."

Cole spent fully five minutes processing her words, a confused, shocked expression on his face. Finally, he blinked once, gave one quiet laugh, and shook his head. 

"Freaking cultural differences," he said, echoing Mel's words in a bemused tone. "Mel," he murmured, shaking his head. "Mel… Mel who says goodnight to me at her door every night while I pray to hear 'come in'. Mel, who knows what she wants and feels and isn't afraid to say it or take a stand. Mel… who has seen and felt my reaction to her touch and her presence and has reacted as if it was a bad thing, something she did not want of me. Mel, who could not possibly care for an alien as she might care for a _man_."

"Freaking cultural differences," she agreed quietly, shaking her head. "How's this work on Cirron? I come to you? Is that what you've been waiting for?"

"Yes, Mel." He nodded. "On Cirron, a male acts in a way that shows that he is receptive to a woman's advances. _She_ acts on it or not. It is her choice only and no Cirronian man would dream of trying to influence or coerce her. It is his place to wait for her to make her will known."

"So the guy has no choice?" she asked, frowning.

"He can… say 'no'," Cole said, shrugging. "It is a woman's to say 'yes'. So I waited, hoping to hear 'yes' from you." He regarded her apologetically. "It must be your choice, Mel. 'Yes' can only _ever_ be your choice."

Mel closed her eyes, exhaling deeply. "I can't say that," she admitted apologetically, hating herself for it even as she spoke.

"I understand, Mel." Cole nodded weakly. Part of him wanted to flee the room with what remained of his dignity intact. The only thing that kept him from doing so was the fact that he doubted he could have made it to the door. "I'm sorry that I have--"

"I'm not saying no to you, either, Cole," Mel interrupted. "This is _not_ a rejection."

He closed his eyes, his head swimming. "You find me acceptable?" he whispered.

"Yes." She nodded firmly. "_More_ than acceptable. I'm just not sure what's next," she sighed. "I'm sorry, Cole, but the last serious relationship I had…"

"I know. And the last relationship I had ended as _it_ ended. Pain teaches caution. You wish to continue only as friends?"

"Not really." She shook her head. "I just don't want to rush into anything. I am not saying that I'm not open to a relationship with you. Just that… we should take it slow."

Cole chuckled softly, shaking his head. "More cultural differences, Mel. On Cirron there is no other way. Mutual desire and affection leads to familiarity. Familiarity to acceptance. Acceptance to love…" He shook his head. "To… physical love," he amended. 

"Slow and easy, huh? Guess you guys don't get a lot of divorces?"

He smiled faintly and shook his head. "Even dating as you understand here is seldom seen. Usually a man has known the woman who marries him his whole life. Nallia and I were a rare exception and it was _years_ before she found me acceptable." His smile grew fond. "Many men's hearts were broken that day."

Mel smiled faintly. "Bet a lot of women had that same problem."

He chuckled and shook his head. "I was not an attractive man, Mel."

"If you can be interested in a fur-ball of a mammal like me, Cole, a Cirronian woman can be attracted to a guy like you no matter _what_ he looks like. She was _not_ the first woman to ever be interested in you, was she?"

"There were others before," he admitted.

"You turned them down?"

"There was no love with them. Only Nallia. Only _ever_ Nallia until you."

Mel processed his words, his tone of voice, and started at him with wide eyes. "You've only ever been with one woman? Just your wife?" At his nod, she shook her head. "Great, now I feel like a slut…"

"It's different for Cirronians," he told her, shaking his head. "We are not like humans. We only ever mate for life."

"Define 'for life'?" Mel whispered.

"I never expected to find love or even happiness again. It was unthinkable to me until you."

She swallowed hard. "How many cultural taboos have you broken today, Cole?"

"Human or Cirronian?" he asked gently, a trace of a smile in his eyes. "I believe I've broken a few Vardian ones as well…"

"Cole," Mel chuckled, shaking her head. "How can you _joke_ about the fact that you are… basically… um… What about Nallia?"

"I am _not_ turning my back on her, Mel," he told her gently. "It is as I told you, as _you_ helped me understand. There is room in a heart for so much love. Nallia will always be a part of me, but that does not change what you have become to me."

"How would your people feel about… this?"

"Nallia might have been shocked by my forward methods, but she would have approved my choice." He paused. "There are those who would _not_ understand," he admitted. "I don't care about them."

"So it doesn't bother you?"

"Your touch lifts my spirit, your voice calms my fears, your smile gladdens my heart. How can that be wrong, Mel?"

"That is a good question," she murmured, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him close. She rested her forehead against his. "Can you wait for a physical relationship?" she whispered.

He nodded immediately. "I can't deny that I desire one, but waiting is… a choice I can understand. It's the right choice. Too much remains to be seen." He shrugged, smiling shyly. "The truth is that if you were to take me into your bed now, I would be _terrified_."

Mel smiled faintly. "Likewise. Waiting is good, important. If we do this, I want to do it right."

Cole nodded. "Yes, Mel."

"I don't want things to change with us, Cole. Well… _some_ things," she admitted. "Just… not the important ones. I can't change for you."

"I wouldn't ask you to. I came to care for you as you are."

"You can't change for me, either," she added. "That is just as important. As long as we are throwing cultural rules out the window, we might as well go all out. In case you failed to notice in your drive to catch fugitives, Earth is _not_ a matriarchal society…"

"I hadn't noticed," he chuckled, shaking his head. 

Mel grinned. "Equal partnership. All the way."

"Is there some other way?" he asked with a smile.

"Well, there's the _wrong_ way, but I've tried that and it doesn't work." She shrugged, then hesitated. "Cole, can we make this work? Are we ever going to be able to make it work? I mean, granted that friends make the best lovers… but you have a job to do."

He nodded slowly. "It's something that I've thought about frequently. I will protect you, always. I made a promise. Nothing between us will ever change that. You may be more vulnerable because of your relationship with me, but I _will_ keep you safe."

"That's not what I mean. What about when your job is done?" she clarified softly.

"I will come back for you once I have delivered the fugitives to Sar-Top. Or you can come to Migar with me if you prefer. This is not something we have to decide now. It will probably take me many years to Collect them all. That's a long time to think."

"You… you would stay on Earth?" she whispered, staring at him with wide eyes. 

"Yes, Mel. Mel… I would move to _Enix_ to be near you."

She smiled faintly, shaking her head. Amazing. "Cole?"

"Yes, Mel?"

"I think I want that physical relationship now." She chucked as the Cirronian's expression became roughly that of a deer caught in a car's headlights, equal parts fearful and transfixed. "And here I always considered you fearless…" She grinned and shook her head, relenting. "I was _joking_, Cole." 

"Oh!" He laughed and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Mel. I'm still practicing my sarcasm."

"Teasing, Cole. That was teasing, not sarcasm."

"Teasing," he repeated dutifully, nodding. "Joking of a sexual nature?"

"Usually but not always. Jess and I tease each other all the time. It's joking between friends, but it's very gentle. No one gets hurt or insulted."

"Although occasionally death by coronary arrest may occur."

She grinned and nodded. "That's good. That's very good, Cole."

He smiled widely, pleased with himself. "Thank you, Mel."

"You're welcome." Mel sighed gently. "I think I could get used to this."

"Me too, Mel. But no more attempts to give me a heart attack, okay?"

She grinned and shook her head. "You just watch it, pal. You get much more adorable and I'm liable to forget that we agreed to wait and jump you now."

He smiled and nodded contritely. "Yes, Mel," he agreed in a tone of voice she had never heard from his mouth before but definitely hoped to some day.

"Hey!" she protested, laughing. "You're going to be as bad as Jess with the innuendo, aren't you?"

"Probably not, Mel. I don't know enough about human culture and sexuality yet. Give me a few years…"

"Agh!" Mel exclaimed, grabbing a pillow and swatting him. "You brat!"

He smiled faintly, easily plucking the pillow from her hand and tossing it aside. "You like me better this way. I can tell."

"Gee, and here I thought I was being subtle." She chuckled and shook her head. "Come here," she directed, beckoning with one finger.

Looking hesitant, Cole leaned closer, receiving a tender kiss on the cheek for his obedience.

"You are too good to be true. Come on." She rose and extended her hand. 

"Where are we going?" he asked, frowning and rising.

"We never did get around to that moonlit stroll," she pointed out. "They're considered romantic, you know." 

"Like dancing close?" he asked, gently pulling her into his arms and against his body.

Mel smiled and nodded. "Yeah, like that." Taking a deep breath, she added, "You're testing my willpower again, Cole."

"Sorry, Mel."

"We'll walk, _then_ we'll dance," Mel told him.

He smiled widely and nodded eagerly, following her from the room.

***

Cole turned to face the ocean, inhaling deeply. The remains of his sandcastle were slowly being carried away by the tide, a fact that did not concern him in the least, not with Mel by his side. 

"I feel… like we're the only two people in the universe," he told her.

"Me, too. And it's nice." She smiled up at him. "But it's not going to last."

"No. One day there will be _three_ people in this universe of ours." He grinned down at her. "And then four. Or even five if you prefer."

Mel swatted his arm, shaking her head. "We have to go back to Chicago in a few days. This… this is _not_ going to last. We are _not_ the only two people in the universe. Zin makes a nasty third."

"I know." He nodded. "And I will find him one day, along with all the others. _Then_ we can have our solitary universe back. Until then, I intend to steal as many of these moments as I can. Nothing between us but a shared feeling… and a few layers of fabric."

"You are worse than Jess…" Mel shook her head. "But you've got a better butt, so it kind of balances out." She laughed as he made a show of trying to look at his behind over his shoulder. "We're going to be okay, aren't we?" she whispered.

Cole's playful mood vanished in a heartbeat and he nodded, tenderly gathering her into his arms. "Yes, we will be. You make me strong. With you here…" He pointed to his heart. "I feel like I can accomplish anything. I can't promise that I can protect you from every evil in the universe, but I _will_ do my best. And I will **_love_** you," he added. "Since we met, you have always been the woman I needed exactly when I needed her. A parent, a teacher, a friend, a sister, a daughter… a _wife_. The last barrier has fallen away. Nothing can stop us any longer. It won't always be easy, Mel. Not with this task I have and not in the universe we live in. But it _will_ be glorious. I can promise you that much."

She smiled up at him, awed. "My God. We _are_ going to be okay."

"Always," he agreed, nodding. "I will never leave you of my own free will. This is my promise to you. You have given me everything and asked for nothing. Now I give you the only thing I have to offer. A piece of my heart."

She reached up and rested her hand over the heart in question, lightly playing her fingers across his chest.

"That feels good, Mel," he told her, and for the first time the phrase did not prompt her to pull away.

She smiled up at him. "Good."

"Is this what Jess meant by rubbing each other the right way?" he asked curiously.

Mel grinned. "I don't know _what_ Jess means half the time." And the half she _did_ get was usually related to sex. She would explain that to Cole later. One trauma a day was more than enough. "Does it feel right?"

"Yes, Mel. You are definitely rubbing me the right way." He nodded. "Can we take more of Jess' advice?"

"Which part?" she asked wryly. "The part where you shag me until I do God knows what? That part?"

"If you'd like, Mel," he agreed readily, earning a shocked look from her that he did not entirely understand. "But you'll have to tell me what shagging is and how to do it," he told her with a shrug. Frowning, he added, "And… why passing out is considered romantic."

Mel's face twisted into a wry smile and she shook her head. "I am going to _kill_ her!" she announced. "Or maybe… just buy her flowers."

"Flowers, I think, Mel," Cole told her. "Later," he added. 

"Later?" she repeated, smiling faintly.

He nodded. "We were going to dance again. You promised."

"That's right," she agreed, sliding her arms around him. "I did." Dancing with him under the moon, Mel murmured, "Cole?"

"Yes, Mel?" he asked tenderly.

"Whatever you do when we get back, do _not_ tell Jess you got Lei'd." 

****

The End

****

Author's Note: In case you're curious, "Ua ola loko i ke aloha" means "Love gives life within" or "Love gives life to the spirit" … fitting description of the relationship between Mel and Cole, imo. 


End file.
